


Stitching Time

by Sandyclaws68



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Gen, Language, M/M, Magic, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-05-01 16:31:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 68,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5212871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandyclaws68/pseuds/Sandyclaws68
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ancient legends tell of the Five Guardian Spirits, daughters of the Great One, who held the world's balance in their hands.  And a prophecy speaks of the day when that balance will be restored in the form of a human child who unifies the Guardian Elements inside one soul.</p><p>But greed and the lust for power have consumed the human world, and a plot to subvert the prophecy seems to have been successful.  As the balance shifts two warriors born under the sign of the Fire Guardian will fight to restore what should have been and protect what is to come.</p><p>In a world without Naruto will Iruka discover the man he was truly meant to be?  And can Kakashi decipher what's gone wrong and fix it in time to save everything, and everyone, he cares for?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Pain.

That was the first thing Kakashi became aware of. In those first few, disorienting minutes of consciousness it felt like an all-over body ache, but when he tried to move his left leg it crystallized into a deep, nausea-inducing pain in his ankle. But that sharp pain brought with it some mental clarity, enough to enable him to catalog what else he felt.

There. His right elbow felt impossibly stiff and swollen and could scarcely bend at all. When he tried to move a sharp pain traveled up from that joint to his shoulder, which burned in the familiar sensation of a kunai slash. He turned his head slightly and gasped as the lump on the back of his head came into contact with the stone floor.

Stone floor. That was another clue. The last thing he remembered was the great bamboo forest of Kusagakure. Whoever, or whatever, had attacked him had also transported him somewhere. And, he suspected, had given him some sort of potion or injection to deaden his sense of smell. For a shinobi like him effecting his ability to smell was as good as blinding him. Without any scents he had no way of even guessing where he was, or who he was with.

Of course, the injuries and the pain were also doing an excellent job of incapacitating him. Judging by the dizziness whenever he moved his head he definitely had a concussion, and he suspected the searing pain in his left leg was from a torn Achilles tendon. Not much chance of escaping if he couldn't walk, let alone run.

And when he opened his left eye he discovered another problem. The Sharingan was dead and dark. So his chakra was being suppressed somehow. Or was being drained away, but for what purpose he couldn't imagine.

A footstep scuffed on the stone floor and he froze for a split second before forcing himself to relax, keeping his breathing regular so he would appear to still be unconscious. That wouldn't work if he was dealing with other shinobi, he knew, but he had a feeling that that wasn't the case. They may have used rogue ninjas to get a hold of him, but whoever was holding him was the exact opposite.

But there was something. . . Not chakra, but a feeling of something similar that tickled against his senses.

“He's still unconscious,” a harsh voice spoke nearby.

“Good. I'd rather not have to hurt him anymore.” That voice was a woman's, and she appeared to be in charge.

“Why are we doing this, though? I thought our magic would be enough -” Another woman.

“Fool!” A sound like a slap. “You know that the magic left in the world is too weak. We need the chakra of an exceptionally strong shinobi if we're to succeed.” A harsh laugh. “And if rumor is to be believed we've netted one of the strongest in all of the Five Elemental Nations.”

That phrase struck a chord in Kakashi's memory. It was rare to hear the Five Nations referred to like that. In fact the last time he had heard it outside of eavesdropping on an Academy lecture had been when his sensei was still alive. Minato had always been fascinated by the ancient legends of the Elemental Guardians and their connection to what would become the Five Shinobi countries.

And magic. The two women had mentioned that as well. He racked his mind to try and remember things that Minato-sensei had told him, but he had been such a selfish and self-absorbed brat at the time and had barely listened. He knew he didn't believe in magic, but there were many people who did. There were entire schools of thought built around the idea that chakra was simply another form of the ancient magic that had once thrived in their world.

He had to catch his breath as a wave of dizziness swamped him and he swallowed hard against the urge to vomit. The first woman laughed, a thoroughly unpleasant sound.

“Not so out of it, is he?” A hand grabbed roughly at his hair. “You just lie still and quiet, shinobi, and we'll be finished with you in no time. And if you need a reminder. . .”

The pain in his left leg spiked and he bit his lip until he tasted blood rather than cry out. Then he gave up the pretense and opened his right eye, spitting blood out of his mouth as he did so. “Who are you?” he asked. “And what do you need with me?”

There was that unpleasant laugh again. “Don't bother with that, handsome. We don't need you, just your chakra. And who we are is unimportant.”

Now that he was focusing Kakashi could make out more sounds in the background, particularly a rhythmic chant in a strange language. That feeling that was almost-but-not-quite chakra tugged at his senses again before another surge of dizziness caught him unawares. He could feel his chakra being drained away as he got progressively weaker. It was being channeled into that other sensation, which suddenly intensified.

The woman who had been tugging on his hair released him and moved away. The odd chant increased in volume and speed, and a wind started to whirl through the space they were in. With the last of his chakra reserves Kakashi reached out his senses, hoping – praying – to connect with something or someone familiar.

There was an explosion of light and sound a split second before the whirlwind dropped away to nothing and the chant came to an abrupt end. The sound of a rockfall was surprising, but not unwelcome. It meant somebody was coming in from the outside. It meant rescue.

“You're too late, shinobi!” the woman in charge shouted. “It's done, and you'll never even know the difference!”

“Probably not, but I know I'll feel better when you're dead!”

 _Naruto!_ That voice was unmistakable, even as muddled as Kakashi's mind was from the pain and the chakra exhaustion. But then there was another gust of wind, a cackling laugh, and then silence.

“Dammit, they got away!” Naruto exclaimed. Then “Is he all right?”

“No, but he will be.” That was Sakura. He could feel the warm rush of her chakra as she examined him, then she started barking out orders. “Taichou, we need a stretcher. Something with glides or runners so it can be pulled. And Sai, one of your beasts to do the pulling. Sensei, if you could brace his elbow I'll stabilize his ankle enough so that we can move him.”

A hand came to rest on his arm and gentle fingers wrapped the injured joint. He'd know that touch anywhere, and he relaxed at last and smiled.

“Iruka. . .” he whispered before blackness finally overtook him.


	2. Chapter 2

The bright sunlight was blinding as it bounced off of the white walls of the hospital room. Kakashi winced against the glare, knowing it would make his concussion-induced headache even worse. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and rolled over, putting his back to the bright window. A sigh of relief escaped; that was much better, and he relaxed enough to just about drift back to sleep.

Until, that is, the door of his room banged open and the lights came on. With a groan he opened his right eye, only to shut it again at the sight of a familiar cleavage.

“You did a real number on yourself this time, brat,” Tsunade said, deliberately knocking the chart against the metal bed frame to make as much noise as possible. “Concussion, chakra exhaustion. . . all par for the course with you. I'll admit that the ruptured Achilles tendon was a new twist, although I can't quite figure out how it happened.” She glared at him accusingly.

“My apologies, Hokage-sama. If I had known -”

“What did you call me?!”

Kakashi felt like his brain had been turned into mush, so remembering anything was difficult. But whatever he had said that shocked Tsunade disappeared like mist in a sunrise. “I. . . I'm not sure,” he admitted, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Everything's a mess up here.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Am I being released soon?”

Tsunade made a noise he took for an affirmative. “Someone from T & I will be taking custody of you,” she said, making a last note in his chart and signing the release papers. “They want to give you a thorough debriefing and make sure the only thing muddling your brain is the concussion.”

He grimaced. A session with T & I was never a pleasant experience, but it's something that he had learned to accept due to the nature of the missions he got sent on most frequently. With luck he'd only have to endure a session with a sensory specialist instead of a full mind probe by a Yamanaka.

A knock sounded at the door and it was pushed open much more gently than when Tsunade had come in. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who was there; a sensory specialist, his long dark hair caught in a high ponytail and a scar across the bridge of his nose. Dammit, the mushy feeling was back in his brain because he couldn't remember the tokubetsu jounin's name.

_But he sure looks good in the grey T & I uniform with the long, black coat._

Kakashi shook his head. _Where had that come from?_ he asked himself.

_He was in the standard uniform and flak vest, grinning as he ruffled the blond hair of a young boy. The boy turned his head, blue eyes flashing with a hint of mischief. . ._

He pressed the heel of his hand to his temple, the brief flash of that image accompanied by a piercing pain.

“Kakashi, are you all right?” Tsunade dropped the chart at the foot of the bed and pulled his hand away, checking his normal eye for pupil reaction. Her hands were blessedly cool on his cheeks.

But that felt wrong somehow too. Maybe it was just a more severe concussion than normal. Or the cumulative effect of too many of them in his lifetime. Whatever it was it hurt too much to think about, so he mentally let go with a sigh. “I'm okay,” he replied. “Just. . . Just the headache seems to come and go, that's all.”

Tsunade looked unsure, but she nodded once and turned to the other occupant of the room. “He's all yours, Iruka-kun,” were her last words before leaving the room.

And that was an important clue, because the T & I man's name floated to the surface of Kakashi's memory. Iruka. Umino Iruka. A sensor type, famed throughout Konoha for his ability to, as his T & I commander said, _Smell a lie in someone's chakra from one hundred meters away_. Young to be in such a responsible position but well liked and respected by all of his peers. Someone that the Yondaime depended on.

That piercing pain sliced through his head again, making him gasp and almost fall back onto the bed. What was causing it? And why was it only happening when certain thoughts passed through his head?

“Hatake-san?”

Kakashi yanked his attention back to the man in front of him, meeting concerned brown eyes. He was on the verge of replying when Umino spoke again. “I know you're probably not well enough to be leaving the hospital, but the sooner we get this debriefing over with the sooner you can go home and get some real rest,” he said, a slight smile lifting one corner of his mouth.

Kakashi nodded, hesitantly returning the smile. He quickly stripped out of the hospital issue pajamas and put on his uniform, leaving off the gloves and flak vest. He tugged at the collar of his shirt for a moment, feeling oddly puzzled, like there was something missing. With a huff of laughter he shook his head and rose to his feet, grateful for Umino's supporting hand on his elbow when he swayed slightly.

The debriefing didn't take long at all, and at the end Kakashi was proclaimed fit and free from any sort of mind control or personality altering jutsu. All he had to deal with now was the intermittent ache in his head. Two weeks off of mission rotation was possibly going to drive him batty, but he could deal with enforced boredom.

“I'll be by every day to check on you until the concussion more-or-less fades,” Umino said as they climbed the stairs to Kakashi's apartment. “But any unusual dizziness or an increased headache -”

Kakashi grinned. “I know, I've dealt with a concussion before. And I've got eight ninken that I can send for help.” He took the younger man's hand in his and gave it a brief squeeze. “But thank you for your concern, sensei.”

He missed Umino's startled look as the door closed on the welcoming darkness of his home.

****~**~**~**~**~****

The next evening, as promised, Umino showed up at his door with four bulging grocery bags. Kakashi, still feeling a little unsteady on his repaired ankle and still combating some residual dizziness, sat comfortably in one of the kitchen chairs and watched the younger man cook. “How did you get stuck with keeping an eye on me?” he asked.

Umino shrugged and didn't turn away from the stove, but the smile was evident in his voice. “Nohara-san is away on a mission, and Tusnade-hime thought the only other person you might listen to was someone from T & I. I drew the short straw, so. . .”

“You don't need to make it sound like such a chore.”

Umino laughed. “Okay, I admit I'm actually enjoying the break from my usual duties. The most recent prisoners from Kumo are. . . unpleasant, to say the least. I've never really enjoyed sitting in on prisoner of war interrogations, but this bunch make it so much worse.” He laughed in a rather self-deprecating fashion. “One of them called me 'pretty boy' the other day!”

Kakashi caught his lower lip in his teeth to stifle the grin he felt threatening. It had obviously offended the younger man, but it was an apt description. The long, lush hair, the full, pouty mouth, and the melted chocolate eyes were a potent combination. He wasn't effeminate, by any stretch of the imagination. Just. . . exceedingly attractive. Pretty.

_And just where are all these thoughts coming from?_ , he asked himself. He was acquainted with the tokujo in a casual fashion; they had worked together on a few occasions in the past and saw each other when out for drinks with friends, but that was pretty much the limit of it. So where were 'exceedingly attractive' and 'pretty' coming from?

_Umino, naked, hair loose and tangled on a pillow, gasps of pleasure escaping his lips. A pale hand, in stark contrast to tanned skin, slid across his chest and brushed a nipple. A moan broke free from deep in his chest. . ._

Sudden, sharp pain lanced through Kakashi's head, making him gasp. Umino turned from the stove, the wooden spoon in his hand clattering to the floor as he crossed the small space and knelt beside the chair.

“Hatake-san, are you all right?”

The pain had started to fade, but Kakashi was still struggling to catch his breath. Umino's hand was warm where it rested on his knee. He didn't say anything else, just waited patiently for the older man to regain control.

“I'm. . . I'm okay.” Kakashi took one deep breath and let it out slowly. His vision started to clear. “I'm okay,” he repeated, working to put a smile on his face.

Umino's nose wrinkled. “This happened yesterday. In the hospital.” He rose to his feet, tugging Kakashi up with him. “You're going to lie down, and I'm going to get Tsunade-hime. Something is obviously not okay.”

Kakashi shook his head; the absolute last thing he wanted was another hospital stay. “I'll be fine,” he replied, ignoring Umino's look of reproach. “It's just the normal headache from a concussion.” He tried to smile again, and this time it came easily. “Really, it's fine.”

“Well, if you're sure. . .” Umino's voice trailed off as he returned to the stove. He pulled another spoon out of the drawer and served dinner, settling into the chair beside Kakashi. “But I feel bad at leaving you alone until I come back tomorrow. You should at least summon some of your ninken to keep an eye on you.”

Kakashi nodded. “If it'll make you feel better, sensei, I'll do that.”

Umino's eyes widened in surprise. “You called me that yesterday,” he said, sounding puzzled. “Sensei.” He stared directly in Kakashi's one visible eye. “Why?”

Kakashi felt his lips turn down and his brow furrow as he thought. “I don't really know,” he finally whispered, glancing down at the food on his plate. “It just. . .” He shrugged and looked up to meet the other man's gaze. “It feels right, somehow. I have no idea why.” His mind jumped to a memory of the day before, when he had regained consciousness. “I think I did something similar with Tsunade-sama,” he said. “Addressed her oddly. . .” What had it been? His eye drifted closed as he tried to latch on to the memory.

_Hokage-sama. . ._ He heard his own voice echoing in his head and his eyes flew open. A spike of pain in the left one reminded him that he was still rather chakra depleted, so he blinked the Sharingan closed. Had he really called Tsunade – elite jounin and commander of the entire medical corps – Hokage?

“What is it?” Umino asked, looking concerned.

“Nothing,” Kakashi answered with a determined shake of his head. He tapped one finger on his temple. “Things just seem a little fuzzy up here, that's all.” He smiled. “My apologies, Umino-san.”

The younger man smiled. “No apologies are necessary. And you can call me Iruka.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

Two days later Kakashi emerged from his apartment for the first time since being released from the hospital, wincing a little in the bright sunlight. He was thinking about whether or not it would be awkward to ask Umino – _No, Iruka_ , he thought to himself – to have lunch with him when he heard someone calling his name behind him. He spun around to see his old genin teammate approaching, concern in her eyes but a smile wreathing her features.

When she was close enough Rin clasped both of his hands in hers and peered intently at his face. “I heard about your latest injuries,” she said. “Are you sure you're okay?”

Kakashi huffed out a small laugh. “I'm fine, Rin. I've been holed up in my apartment for the last three days, waiting for the lingering effects to subside.” He grinned at her. “And you know me; one more day and I'll go completely mad.”

“You're off active duty for two weeks,” Rin commented, proving that she hadn't just been told about his injuries but had read his chart. “In a normal situation _that_ would drive you mad. So why do you look so pleased with yourself?”

He felt his grin falter ever-so-slightly and inwardly cursed Rin's perceptive nature. But he wasn't about to confide in her that he was crushing on the T & I sensory specialist like a horny teenager (at least not yet) so he distracted her with a medical question. He told her about the odd word and image flashes he had had, and the accompanying, all-consuming pain.

A thoughtful frown crossed her face. “Well, some loss of memory is not uncommon with a concussion,” she began.

Kakashi shook his head. “These aren't memories,” he insisted. “At least not memories of mine.” He started walking, content with an aimless ramble through the village with his best friend. “They're more like. . . I don't know. Dreams?” He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. “And there's something else. I've kind of – sort of – had a couple of verbal stumbles.”

Rin's sidelong glance was noticeably more worried than before. “Aphasia?! Kakashi, that's beyond serious! That's -”

“It's not aphasia,” he interrupted before she could gear up to full medic-nin lecture mode. “I'm not forgetting words or having trouble with my overall language skills. I may have. . . Well, I think I called Tsunade Hokage-sama when I first regained consciousness.”

Rin stopped short and blinked. “You. . .” She shook her head as if clearing cobwebs from it. “You called Tsuande-taichou Hokage?”

“I think so. My memory of that is a bit hazy, I admit. But something I said shocked her. And I know that's hard to do.”

Rin snorted. “I'll say.” Between having been teammates with Jiraiya (the pervert), fighting in a brutal war (man's inhumanity to man at its worst), and seeing untold horrors as a medic-nin (every imaginable degree of too much information) Tsunade was pretty much imperturbable. For her to be surprised, let alone shocked, by anything was almost unknown. “Okay, but you said you aren't really sure what you said to her, so maybe you memory is playing you false and what you think happened didn't.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn't just her,” Kakashi replied, sounding somewhat abashed. “I may have called the T & I tokujo that checked in on me 'sensei'.”

“May have?”

Kakashi swallowed. “Did. Twice. No faulty memory this time.”

Rin's expression told him that she wanted to ask a whole host of other questions, but she thankfully kept quiet. The silence between them stretched out; not uncomfortable, but awkward. Finally Rin coughed to clear her throat. “It's not so weird,” she said, glancing at him as they started to walk again. “Maybe this tokujo reminded you of someone, someone that you used to call sensei.”

“The only person I've ever called that was Yondaime-sama, and occasionally Jiraiya.” He grinned ruefully. “And Umino-san is nothing like either of them.”

A mischievous grin creased Rin's face and her eyes started to sparkle. “Ahhhh, Umino-san,” was all she said, but there was a wealth of meaning underneath the words.

Kakashi cursed his pale complexion when he felt a blush grow across his cheeks. Rin, in her annoyingly observant way, didn't miss one iota of that color, and her grin only got wider. When she spoke, though, she only answered his unspoken questions. “I've met him,” she said, looking off into the distance as if that would hide her expression. “We worked together when I was in charge of the prison hospital.”

Kakashi made a non-committal noise that caused her to laugh. “Come on, Kakashi. It's been years since you were _interested_ in anyone. I can exult in that a little, can't I?”

“I'm not -” Rin glared and Kakashi gave in. “Okay, fine, I'm a little interested.” He avoided telling her that one of his strange image flashes had featured the tokujo in what could only be called in flagrante delicto. She'd give him no peace if that came out. He studied her out of the corner of his eye, noting the exact moment that the smug grin softened.

“Kakashi, this is a good thing,” Rin said, reaching down and taking his hand in hers. “I know you haven't been living like a monk, but you've avoided anything that resembles a relationship since. . . well, you know. This time – this situation – may be exactly what you need. Besides,” she went on, the mischief back in her voice. “Most of my female colleagues think that Umino is one of the sexiest things on two legs in all of Konoha. A few of my male colleagues agree.”

Kakashi reluctantly laughed. “And if he doesn't swing that way?” he asked.

Rin shrugged. “You won't lose a damn thing by asking. And even if you don't gain a lover you might find yourself another friend. For that alone I think it'd be worth a try.”

_Rin, blood seeping from the corners of her mouth, looking at him with unfathomable love and gratitude in her eyes. And he, one hand buried in her chest and the chirping of a thousand birds echoing in his ears. . ._

It had been two days since the last one, so both the image that flooded his mind and the pain that came with it were that much worse. Suddenly he could barely breathe and he dropped to his knees, struggling to inhale and gagging as the pain overwhelmed him. He was dimly aware of Rin kneeling beside him, of a soothing palm between his shoulder blades and her worried voice calling to one of the nearby shopkeepers.

After that was all blessed blackness.

****~**~**~**~**~****

“. . . and then he just collapsed in the street. The goldsmith in the shop across the way arrived to help when he lost consciousness.”

“Hmmmm. And what about you, Iruka-kun?”

“He had a similar sort of episode the first evening that I was assigned to check on him. But he said he was fine and seemed so. . . well, normal, afterwards that I assumed it was just the usual concussion headache and dizziness.”

“I'm alive over here, you know,” Kakashi managed to grate out, irritated at the roughness in his throat.

Tsunade snorted. “I'll be the judge of that.” She jerked her head toward the door and waited until Rin and Iruka left the room. “You should have told me that you were having problems before you even left the hospital,” she scolded, but her words were mild compared to what he would have expected. She sat on the edge of the bed. “Rin told me about your – What did you call them? - verbal stumbles. I guess that explains why you addressed me as Hokage when you first regained consciousness.”

“So that actually did happen,” Kakashi mused. “I was convinced that at least that one was my imagination.”

Tsunade laughed. “No such luck, brat. Now, do you want to tell me about the other incidents or should I get Inoichi in here to drag it out of you head?”

Since enduring a Yamanaka mind-probe ranked high on Kakashi's Unpleasant Things To Never Experience Again list he gave in. “The first was when Umino first came into the room. I had a mental image of him in the standard uniform and flak vest.” He paused for thought, brow wrinkling. “He was with a young boy, maybe ten years old, with blond hair.”

Tsunade nodded and made a note on the pad that rested on her knee. “This boy. Was he anyone you know?”

Kakashi shook his head and looked a little sheepish. “I'm not exactly on intimate terms with the village children, though,” he replied.

Tsunade made a noncommittal sound. “What else happened that day?” she asked.

Kakashi had spent a lot of years cultivating his excellent memory, but the confusion caused by a concussion was interfering with his recall. “There was something, after you left the room. I was thinking about how Umino is the best lie detector in all of Fire Country, and how the Yondaime depends on that skill. . .”

Tsunade looked up. “Which part of that triggered the pain?”

Kakashi didn't hesitate; this part was burned in his memory because it was the most puzzling of all of the incidents. “It was when I thought of the Yondaime. As soon as that word crossed my mind I felt like someone had shoved an ice pick in my skull.” He shifted in the bed to sit up higher against the pillows. “I don't understand it. Why would I react like that? Minato-sensei is one of the most important people in my life.”

“That may be why,” Tsunade put in, voice and expression considering. “The strong emotional connection between you and Minato-sama might have contributed to it. And speaking of sensei. . .”

Yeah. That. “I called Umino-san sensei twice. That first evening when he left me at my apartment and the next night when he came to check on me.”

“But there's been no pain associated with these verbal issues, correct? So what was Umino talking about when he said you had an 'episode' the evening after you got out of the hospital?”

Kakashi blushed, praying that she wouldn't notice. But Tsunade was not a top medic-nin for nothing. Part of her talent lay in her skill at observation. She simply stared him down, one eyebrow raised.

“I. . . uh. . . may have had a small – tiny, really – sort of sexual fantasy about Umino-san.” Both of Tsunade's eyebrows lifted and she was clearly fighting down a desire to laugh. “Yeah, yeah,” Kakashi grumbled. “You don't need to say anything; Rin already reminded me that it's been a while since I've been interested in anyone, let alone been on a date.” He sighed and let his head fall back on the pillows. “That's probably what brought that on.”

Tsunade's look told him that she, at least, didn't believe that part. She sat in silence for a while, gaze on the blue sky visible out the window. “Do you want to tell me what happened today that landed you back here?” Her eyes hadn't strayed one inch from the window.

“I. . .” He swallowed hard, feeling the bitter touch of bile at the back of his throat. “I killed Rin,” he finally whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

It was early evening, the setting sun staining the sky crimson, when Kakashi was again released from the hospital. As strange as it was he felt markedly better for having spilled his heart to Tsunade. It hadn't necessarily changed anything – they still had no idea what any of the odd images and flashes meant, nor why they were causing such intense pain – but at least he knew he wasn't in this alone.

Telling Tsunade about the last incident had been difficult. He had thought she was going to faint when he managed to stammer out that he had killed Rin in one of those image flashes, but she had recovered her poise and demanded more details. He had been reluctant to provide them, but Tsunade insisted that the more they knew the better chance they had of unlocking what was going on. Unfortunately the only details he could really remember were that Rin looked young – early teens young – and what killed her was a lightning jutsu.

And now, as he made his way home through the bustling dinner-hour streets, he tried not to think about that part. The one thing that he hadn't shared with Tsunade was that in the case of the most recent incident scent had been a part of it. Specifically the stench of charred flesh and blood. And that fact was still clinging to his psyche, making him feel slightly nauseous if he thought about it for too long.

But there was something else; a prickly sensation at the back of his mind that was so strong he stopped in the middle of the street and looked around, trying to determine the source. It faded so suddenly that for a minute he though it had been his imagination, but as soon as he started walking again it came back, though weaker than before.

“You're losing your touch, 'kashi-kun.”

He was startled at the soft voice behind him but managed not to show it. When he turned he saw his old teacher and bowed low. “Yondaime-sama.”

Minato smiled. “No need for such formality,” he said, using a hand to raise Kakashi up and turn him. They continued walking. “I've been a bit worried about you since you returned home, but this was the first chance I've had to check on you. I didn't expect you to be confused by the presence of the ANBU guards.”

Kakashi laughed. “Well, I am recovering from a concussion.”

“That must be it,” Minato replied with a grin.

They arrived at Kakashi's apartment and he made his way to the kitchen to make tea. Now that he was aware of what he was sensing it was easy to pick out the chakra signatures of the ANBU guards. There were four of them, two just outside his door, one on the roof of his building and one on the roof of the building opposite. He felt somewhat better about himself for sensing that; maybe it was all just the after-effects of the concussion muddling his mind.

“Tsunade told me about some of your troubles,” Minato said as he sipped the too-warm tea. “I wanted to make sure you're okay.”

“I'm fine, sensei,” Kakashi replied. He knew where this conversation was going.

“Rin suggested that you be kept off mission duty indefinitely.”

Kakashi had to laugh. “I knew it,” he said, rolling his eyes. “She worries about me too much.”

“Nevertheless,” Minato went on, the tone of his voice marking his words as commands. “I agree with her and have so ordered. Until the medics know what is causing your strange episodes, or they stop happening, you're off active duty.”

“And what am I supposed to do with myself? You know what boredom does to me.”

Minato grinned. “Don't worry, I've thought of that. For a start you'll be one of the chuunin exam proctors. After that. . . Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Kakashi knew that his expression had to be aghast. “The chuunin exams, sensei? Are you serious?”

“Do you have a better idea of what to do with you?” Minato asked, suppressed laughter making his voice rough.

_A dark haired boy with pale skin, sitting on a stone floor and surrounded by seals drawn in blood. There was a mark, like a tattoo, at the base of his neck on the left side. The seals all seemed to point to that mark, and. . ._

The cup shattered when it hit the floor, making Kakashi jump as the hot tea splashed his bare feet. Minato was at his side in the blink of an eye, grabbing a towel from the counter and dropping it to soak up what had spilled. His knees suddenly feeling weak Kakashi all but collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs, right hand pressed to his temple as the pain in his head started to fade.

One of the ANBU came through the door, sword drawn. Minato shook his head at the guard before turning his attention back to his former student. Kakashi was breathing hard, his face as pale as milk. His blue eyes concerned the Yondaime knelt beside the chair, laying a hand on the younger man's knee. “Was that. . .?”

Kakashi nodded, then pressed both hands to his head. “Dizzy,” he managed to say as his head spun. Minato put a hand under his arm and lifted him from the chair. The ANBU sheathed his sword and came forward to help, sliding a shoulder underneath the jounin's other arm. The two of them got Kakashi to the bedroom, and he seemed to feel better once he laid down.

“Should we send for a medic, Yondaime-sama?” the ANBU asked

Minato looked at Kakashi, who shook his head. “No, I'll be fine.” He sat forward slightly and adjusted the pillows to prop himself up. “Just. . . Just give me a minute.” He took several deep breaths. “And. . . some water would be nice.”

When the ANBU returned with the glass Kakashi took several small sips before laying back against the pillows. He was disturbed by how deeply this most recent vision had effected him, and also worried that the Hokage had seen all of it. Being taken off of active duty permanently was not something he wanted to think about.

Minato looked worried, but managed to smile. “I don't want to leave you alone,” he said. “But I need to get back to the tower. Will you be -”

His words were cut off by a knock at the door. The ANBU went to answer, and a low-voiced conversation could be heard. When he returned it was with Iruka following in his wake. The tokujo bowed to the Hokage, then waited to be addressed.

Minato didn't hesitate. “Umino! Perfect timing.” He went on to explain what had just happened, taking careful note of the worried expression that Iruka cast Kakashi's way.

“I'll be happy to stay with Hatake-san for a while,” Iruka replied with a slight smile. “I'm already familiar with the situation, and can handle things just fine.”

It didn't take very long after that for Minato to leave. Kakashi was surprised by the apparent trust the Yondaime had in the young tokujo, but then he himself had instinctively trusted Iruka right from the start as well, so maybe it wasn't so unusual. He didn't feel up to thinking about how much of that trust was twisted together in being attracted to the younger man.

When Iruka came back into the bedroom after seeing Minato out he knelt at the side of the bed. “Are you sure you're all right, Kakashi-san?” he asked, a concerned frown creating a furrow between his eyebrows.

Kakashi nodded and tried a smile, hoping that it looked better than it felt. “I'm fine,” he said. “Just a bit more of an intense reaction, that's all.”

“Do you want to talk about what you saw?”

“Um, no, not really,” he replied, sounding somewhat sheepish. “Mostly I'd like to rest.” He let his head drop onto the pillows. “And I'd like a cup of tea to replace the one I dropped in the kitchen.”

Iruka laughed and gracefully rose to his feet. “That can be arranged.”

The sounds of someone else in his apartment, puttering about his kitchen, was surprisingly restful. Normally Kakashi would have felt on-edge, even unnerved, by the presence of another person in his personal space, but for some reason knowing it was Iruka made it feel. . . Right. Proper, somehow. Normal. He could hear Iruka muttering to himself as he cleaned up the mess, the clanking as pieces of porcelain were dropped into the trash, and then the shrill sound of the tea kettle. A bit of banging in cabinets, then water was poured.

Five minutes later Iruka came back into the bedroom with two cups of tea. He set one down on the bedside table next to where Kakashi lay, then walked around the bed and sat down, arranging himself with his back against the headboard and his legs extended in front of him. He grinned when Kakashi shot him a questioning glance.

“I'm not going to sit on my knees beside you all night,” he said. “Not when there's a perfectly comfortable other half of the bed.”

“All night?” Kakashi asked with a quirked eyebrow, pleased at the flush the spread across the other man's cheekbones.

“Just a figure of speech, Kakashi-san,” he said, turning away to sip at his tea.

“We're together on my bed, Iruka. I think you can drop the 'san'.”

Iruka looked somewhat startled, but nodded. “All right.” The flush didn't fade one bit. “So. . . um. . . what do you want to talk about?” he asked. “Or should I leave so you can get some sleep?”

Kakashi laid a hand on the other man's arm. “No, don't. Don't leave.” He sighed, knowing he was about to admit something he had never really acknowledged before. “I need the company,” he whispered. “But. . . Can we talk about something mundane? Ridiculous, even? I don't think I can take another serious conversation after the day I've had.”

Iruka smiled and patted Kakashi's leg where it was stretched out next to his. “Okay, how's this for ridiculous? Rumor has it that you're going to be a chuunin exam proctor this time around.” There was the faintest twinkle in the brown eyes that met his, and he knew that the Yondaime had told Iruka that in the hopes of it distracting Kakashi from his other troubles.

“In this case I'm assuming 'rumor' means the Hokage?” he asked with a huff of laughter. “He only just told me earlier tonight. Even by Konoha standards that would be light speed for a piece of gossip.”

Iruka laughed. “Okay, fine, you found us out. But in his defense I think Yondaime-sama just wanted to make sure I let you know exactly what you can expect out of the experience.” And he started telling Kakashi the most outrageous stories that he had from five years of proctoring.

Kakashi fell asleep with that gentle voice in his ears, and the last thing he felt before darkness claimed him was a comforting hand carding through his hair.

****~**~**~**~**~****

Two days later Kakashi reported to the Academy building at three in the afternoon, fully prepared to endure any and all variations of hell as a first time exam proctor. He was surprised at the presence of so many T & I specialists; his own experience in the chuunin exam hardly qualified as torture.

“The first test is primarily a psychological one, so T & I always provides the most proctors,” a soft voice sounded behind him, and he managed to keep himself from visibly starting. He turned and faced Iruka, who smiled at him in a way that caused his stomach to flip. “I didn't want you to think you came to the wrong place,” the younger man explained.

“I admit I was starting to wonder,” Kakashi replied with a grin of his own. He looked around the large classroom. “So what happens now?”

“Well, there's a genjutsu test that they have to break before they can even enter this room, so we've got some time. Once all the participants are here and their identities verified Yamanaka-san will begin the written portion of the test.” Iruka lowered his voice. “But as I told you this is really a psychological test, set up in such a way that it pits people against each other. Forces them to cheat to get the answers.”

Kakashi nodded his understanding. “And I assume that if they cheat without getting caught it's a good thing, right?”

“Definitely. Part of the purpose of this section of the exam is to test intelligence gathering skills.” He turned away from Kakashi when a door at the back of the room crashed open and a horde of hopeful genin spilled inside. “You'll understand more when Yamanaka-san explains the rules.”

Just over an hour later Kakashi was ready to pull his hair out in boredom. The T & I specialists were all clearly experienced at the whole proctoring thing, and any time he caught a participant cheating one of them was already on his feet and removing the offender. Halfway through the test Yamanaka Inoichi, the commander of T & I and the head proctor for the first round, had walked behind him and suggested that he use his Sharingan to monitor the chakra flow in the remaining genin. What purpose that would serve he didn't know, but he accepted the task, mainly because it would bring him in more contact with Iruka.

As the designated sensor Iruka had been monitoring the chakra levels in the room since the start of the test. “It's about trying to avoid any stress induced breakdowns,” Iruka whispered when Kakashi got close enough, pushing up his hitai-ate to bare the Sharingan. “It's a delicate balance between the stress we're deliberately causing and all of it becoming a little too much.” He smiled at his new partner. “I appreciate having some help; I usually do this part on my own.”

When there were fifteen minutes left in the test Inoichi dropped the final question, the all or nothing choice of trying to answer it or failing the whole thing for that year. Kakashi was impressed at how every word that came out of the T & I jounin's mouth was another figurative knife to the heart of the remaining participants. The man was a veritable genius when it came to psychological intimidation and he shared a look with Iruka, one that said _No wonder he runs this show every year_. Iruka just grinned and nodded slightly.

Then before he knew it the entire thing was over, and instructions were being handed out for those who had advanced to the next part of the exam. When the room was cleared Kakashi sighed and sank onto one of the desks. “Who usually gets more stressed by this, the participants or the proctors?” he asked.

Iruka laughed. “Some years it's too close to call,” he replied. “Just be thankful that you aren't involved in the second phase. Five days in the Forest of Death makes this look like a cakewalk.”

Kakashi stood, breathed out “Thank the gods!” and grinned at Iruka's chuckle.

_They're not your students anymore, they're soldiers under my command._

Those words, spoken in his voice, echoed through his head. His tone had been harsh, cold, and his brain supplied an image of Iruka, eyes wide and expression stricken. He blinked rapidly and gave his head a shake and the image dissipated as fast as it had appeared. Iruka (the real Iruka) was at his side so fast that he must have used the Body Flicker jutsu to get there.

“What was it?” he asked, and Kakashi knew he wasn't going to be put off like he had been the other night. He told the chuunin what he had seen and heard, trying to keep his tone as dispassionate as possible. All of these flashes were disturbing him on some sort of primal level; touching emotions that he normally kept under tight control, but that was especially true of the ones that involved the man who was with him at that moment.

“Kakashi, look at me.” The jounin raised his eyes to meet Iruka's warm gaze. “These things, what you keep seeing. . . They're not real, not memories. They're your brain's way of trying to make sense of things that have been happening to you, and around you, since you regained consciousness. They're nothing to be afraid of.” His hands reached out and clasped Kakashi's. “Do you trust me?” When Kakashi nodded the tokujo smiled. “Then trust that I know what I'm talking about, and we can get through this together.”

“Why?” Kakashi coughed to clear his voice of its sudden roughness. “Why do you care so much? It can't be just because Tsunade asked you to look out for me.”

“I. . .” Iruka's face turned a brilliant shade of red. “I care about everyone in the village,” he all but stammered out.

Kakashi smiled and squeezed the hands that were clasped around his. “Not like this you don't. But it's okay, you don't have to say anything. Just. . .” He looked away and felt a flush rising on his own cheeks. “Just know that. . . well, it's mutual. The caring, I mean.”

“Oh.”

The blush on his cheeks intensified and Kakashi rubbed the back of his head with one hand. “Look, do you have any other plans for the rest of the evening?” When Iruka shook his head the jounin went on. “Then how about we go and get some dinner? Just two friends enjoying a meal and some ridiculous, mundane conversation.” He released the other man's hands to take a step back.

Iruka smiled, and it took some work for Kakashi to not be entranced by the sight. “I'd like that.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

“Why does the Yondaime have such trust and faith in you?” Kakashi asked Iruka as they lingered over a final flask of sake at one of his favorite restaurants.

Iruka looked surprised. “I wasn't aware that he did.”

“Maybe it's only obvious to someone who knows him as well as I do. But he wouldn't have left my apartment the other night if he didn't trust you to watch over me.”

“Hmmm. You have a point.” His expression turned thoughtful. “I suppose it has something to do with what happened with his wife. I was the sensory specialist that uncovered her spying.”

_A woman with bright red hair, a brilliant smile and a loud and exuberant attitude. . ._

Kakashi manged to cover up any reaction to the vision with surprise that Iruka had been involved in that incident. “Really? But that was nearly six years ago! You couldn't have been any older than -” He started doing the math in his head.

“I was seventeen, and just starting at T & I. Still a chuunin.” Iruka's mouth twisted in a wry smile. “I was out of my depth when Yamanaka-san assigned me that case, and even more so when all signs pointed to the spy being the Hokage's wife.” He laughed without humor. “Believe me when I tell you how many times I wished things had been different!”

“But you did your job, and saved the village,” Kakashi put in, feeling a certain amount of sympathy for the young Iruka. He knew what it was like to have such sudden, and immense, responsibility shoved onto your shoulders. “You made it possible for Minato-sensei to keep his son with him, for the boy to grow up loyal to Konoha. If you hadn't discovered her spying she would have taken the boy back to Kumogakure and turned him into an enemy that we could not afford to have.”

“I know. I remind myself of that every day.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sometimes it's the only thing that makes me feel better about some of the jobs I have to do.”

“At least you have something like that,” Kakashi said, sounding rueful. “All too often it feels like all I do is shovel just enough shit to keep our collective heads above it.”

When the check was placed on their table Kakashi grabbed it and totally ignored all of Iruka's protests as he pulled his wallet out of a pocket. They were outside in the cool night air before he said anything in response. “I asked you to have dinner with me, remember?”

“You also said it was just a couple of friends sharing a meal,” Iruka huffed. “You never said anything about it being a date.”

Kakashi glanced at him out of the corner of his good eye. “Do you want it to have been a date?” he asked, his voice low.

“Do you?”

“I asked you first.”

Iruka laughed. “What are you, twelve?”

Kakashi stepped close enough that he could feel Iruka's warmth. “No, sensei, I think you'll find that I'm very much a man.”

That enchanting blush stained the tokujo's cheeks. “You keep calling me sensei,” Iruka said, dropping his gaze from the other man's.

“I'll probably do it again, if that's all right with you.” Kakashi reached out and cupped the other man's cheek. “Good night, sensei,” he whispered before planting a feather-light kiss on his cheek. Then he flickered away, leaving Iruka standing in the street, one hand pressed to his cheek, the spot of the kiss feeling like it had been branded.


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning Iruka was awake with the sun, although it would probably be more accurate to state that he hadn't really slept at all. Most of the night had passed in thinking about Kakashi, and how best to help with his current difficulties. Okay, and if he was honest with himself a fair amount of time had been spent in thoughts of their dinner (Date?) and the kiss on the cheek that had followed. But as much as he might have wanted to explore the possibilities suggested by that kiss he wanted to figure out what was going on even more.

So he was waiting outside Inoichi's office when the T & I commander arrived. He needed to speak to his boss for two reasons; one, he needed Inoichi's permission to spend time trying to work out what had happened to Kakashi and two, he wanted to consult the man as a known expert on mind control jutsu. He rose to his feet and bowed, waiting to be acknowledged.

If Inoichi was surprised he managed not to show it. He released the protective wards around the door before unlocking it, gesturing Iruka to proceed him inside. When they were both seated on either side of the desk he looked at his specialist, one eyebrow raised in a question.

“Yamanaka-taichou, I. . .” Now that he was here he was finding in difficult to put his request into words. He didn't want anyone to read too much into his desire to help Kakashi, especially not his commander, who was adept at reading people even without his special jutsus, so he tried to approach the matter obliquely. “You know what happened to Hatake-san.”

Inoichi leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers before his face, hiding his smile. “I know that you debriefed him last week and, at Tsunade-hime's request, kept an eye on him for a few days.”

“Of course,” Iruka said, half under his breath. Inoichi had known all about that because it had been an official assignment. “Well, there's been a bit more to it than expected.” And he went on to tell his commander what he knew of Kakashi's condition, the strange visions, and the jounin's reactions to them. “I want your permission to pursue this,” he concluded. “As an official case.”

Inoichi hmmm'd in response and pulled a folder from one of his desk drawers. “You cleared Hatake last week,” he said, flipping through the papers in the file. “He was free of any sort of jutsu.”

“And he was, at the time. But given everything that's happened I can't help but wonder.” Iruka sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The other reason I wanted to speak to you was to ask if you know of any sort of jutsu that could cause this. Is there some technique that could have planted these thoughts and ideas in Hatake's head and left them to dribble out a bit at a time?”

Inoichi was silent for so long that Iruka was afraid he had overstepped some sort of line and was about to stage a strategic retreat when the commander held up a hand. “There are. . . rumors that such jutsus exist,” Inoichi finally answered. “I've never personally encountered such a thing but my grandfather used to tell stories about a clan from Hidden Grass that had such power. They supposedly died out nearly thirty years ago, but that's no guarantee the bloodline is fully gone.” He leaned forward in his chair and grabbed a pen and several pieces of paper. “All right, you have this as an official case. There might be something similar in our archives, so I'd start there, but I'll notify the Hokage so you can have access to the Restricted Records Room. And Fugaku as well.”

Iruka sucked in a breath. “Uchiha-san? You think the military police records might yield some information?”

“Not exactly,” Inoichi said with a grin. “I think the Uchiha clan library might have a few clues.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

Hours later Iruka emerged from the T & I building, blinking in the afternoon sunlight. A thorough search of the department's records had yielded only three reports, all of them more than fifty years old, all containing references to Kusagakure shinobi, and none of them of any real, practical use. But there had also been some intriguing hints of delayed reaction genjutsus that he thought were worth looking into, so after a brief stopover at the Mission Desk he set out for Training Field #6, were he expected to find someone who might be able to answer his questions.

Shiranui Genma was famed throughout Konoha for his skill with small weapons. Not many people could use senbon as an effective weapon in a pitched battle; he was the exception. But what was less well known was that the jounin had a skill in the use and breaking of genjutsu that was rivaled only by Yuuhi Kurenai. And since Kurenai was out of the village on a mission Genma was the obvious choice to take his questions to.

And he was at Training Field #6 just as the Mission Desk chuunin had guessed he would be. Iruka had to smile at one of the genin that was with him. Namikaze Mikata, the Yondaime's son. Seeing the boy brought the previous night's conversation with Kakashi back to his mind. Yes, he could definitely count the boy's presence in Konoha as a success in the shit storm that had been the case against the Hokage's wife.

Iruka paused on the edge of the field to watch as the jounin mentor sparred with one of his students, a boy who's pale skin and glossy black hair marked him as an Uchiha. The boy used a fire jutsu in an effort to distract his teacher, but Genma was too quick for that, ducking underneath the flaming bullets and rolling close to his target. One quick, sweeping kick took the Uchiha's legs out from under him. But the boy was just as fast, pushing chakra into his feet to launch a backward flip away as he flung a kunai. The rest happened almost too fast to see. There was a flash of light on metal, a clanging sound, the kunai was flying away from its intended target and the young Uchiha was pinned to the ground with five senbon through each sleeve.

“See? Just because a weapon is bigger and has more weight doesn't make it more effective.” Genma leaned over his student and started plucking the senbon out of the ground, releasing the boy to sit up. “And flashy jutsus aren't much use unless you have the other skills to back them up, Sasuke.”

The boy made a noise in his throat that was half displeased grunt and half acknowledgment that his teacher was correct before rising to his feet. The lone girl on the team stepped forward to help him dust off his clothes, an undeniable look of adoration on her face. Mikata shot the girl a disgruntled look, then stepped forward to begin his spar with their sensei.

Iruka coughed to get their attention, moving out of the shadows of the trees. Four pairs of eyes settled on him with varying looks; Genma looked curious, Mikata annoyed, and the pink haired girl and the Uchiha nervous, probably because they recognized his T & I uniform. He smiled in his best effort to look non-threatening, and bowed when he was close enough to speak without having to shout. “My apologies for interrupting, Shiranui-san,” he said. “But I need to ask you a few questions in connection with an open case I'm working on.”

He saw the surprise flit across the jounin's face, and then the curiosity intensified. Genma glanced up at the sky, gauging the sun's position. “We'll call it a day, guys,” he said to his team, holding up a hand when Mikata started to object. “It's getting late, and I'd rather not have to explain to your parents why you were out after dark on a non-mission day.” He grinned. “Now get!”

The three genin took off, headed towards the village, but not without casting a few glances back at their jounin sensei and the man from T & I. Iruka could feel their wide, curious eyes boring into his back, but he refused to turn around. Let them think they were being more surreptitious than the reality indicated. Besides, keeping track of them with his back turned was good practice for his senses.

“This is about Kakashi, isn't it?”

“What makes you say that?” Iruka asked, pleased that his surprise couldn't be heard in his voice. He turned and started walking to the village, following the path that the genin had just been on.

Genma laughed. “Come on, Iruka. You know what gossip is like in this town. And when the piece of gossip is about one of the best jounin. . . Well, that's guaranteed to get people talking.”

Iruka fought to keep his grin to a minimum. Yes, he did know what gossip was like. “Well, why don't you tell me what the rumor mill is churning out about Kakashi and I'll tell you which parts are true, and which parts I'm involved in.”

One of Genma's eyebrows shot up. “So you're calling him by his first name? That's a new fact to add to the mix.”

“Genma. . .”

The other man laughed and batted his eyes in a flirtatious parody. “And here I was thinking you had forgotten my name, what with 'Shiranui-san' in front of the kids.”

“I'd address any jounin sensei properly in front of a genin team,” Iruka replied. “But can we get back to the subject at hand?”

“Okay, okay.” The jounin took a few minutes for thought before he continued. “So I gather the bare facts are that Kakashi came home from a mission, no more seriously injured than he's been in the past, but was suddenly taken off of active duty for a minimum of two weeks. I've also heard that for a few days, before Rin returned from a mission, you were assigned as his nursemaid.”

“I think nursemaid is the wrong term, but the rest is true in essentials,” Iruka agreed. “So what part is _not_ true?”

“I don't know about not true, but how about the part where the entire jounin ready room is taking bets on whether or not he's finally snapped?” Genma geld up a hand when Iruka turned a furious face his way. “I didn't say that I think that way, but it's definitely the majority opinion. I have a little bit of extra inside information.” When Iruka shot him a questioning glance he clarified. “Rin. She and I have a. . . Well, an arrangement of sorts.”

“You have sex with each other for release after particularly grueling missions.” Iruka laughed at Genma's shocked expression. “I'm a sensory specialist, for pity's sake! You've said her name twice in this conversation and both times it was accompanied by a surge at the chakra point connected to sexual desire. Not a difficult guess.”

“Fair enough,” the jounin replied with a nod. “Well, Rin has told me a little bit about what's been happening with Kakashi. She's concerned, and needed to talk to someone not connected to the case. So that's how I know a few things that the others don't.”

“And you haven't thrown any of it onto the gossip heap?”

“I'd never do that to something she told me in confidence about a patient! I know I have a reputation but even I'm not that much of a lowlife!” was Genma's indignant response. “Now you need to satisfy my curiosity; why are you here to ask me questions about what's going on?”

Iruka sighed and made the decision to be as honest and straightforward as he could be. He gave Genma a quick rundown of the facts of the case and his involvement, ending with Inoichi's decision to let him investigate it officially. “I didn't find much of anything in the T & I archives,” he admitted. “But I did come across a few mentions of delayed-reaction genjutsus that can be used to affect mental stability; make the person seem perfectly normal and not under the influence of any technique on the outside but slowly drive him or her insane from within.”

Genma nodded slowly. “I've heard of such things as well. Lots of rumors that Hanzo of Amegakure was a fan of those sorts of methods. But I've never actually encountered such a thing.” He stopped walking and waited for Iruka to meet his eyes. “Do you really think Kakashi is under the influence of something like that?

“It's one possibility. The other is some sort of mind control jutsu that accomplishes the same thing by planting false images into the mind.” Iruka shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at the ground. “I'm not sure which one I'd prefer to be dealing with.”

They started walking again and were nearly back in the village proper before Genma spoke. “Where was Kakashi on this last mission before he was injured?”

“In Grass Country,” Iruka answered promptly. He had made a point of memorizing all of the non-classified details of the mission before even making his request of Inoichi. “You think there might be something – some clue as to what happened to him – connected to where he was?”

Genma nodded. “Like I said the genjutsus you described have long been rumored to be associated with Hanzo and Hidden Rain. Since Kakashi wasn't there then the alternative is more likely. Wouldn't you say?”

****~**~**~**~**~****

The next day found Iruka in the Hokage's office, standing quietly as the Yondaime read Inoichi's letter requesting that his sensory specialist be granted access to the Restricted Records Room in order to search for information that might be helpful in an active case. Minato read the letter twice before looking up.  “You're trying to figure out what happened to Kakashi, aren't you?” he asked, holding up the letter. “Inoichi specifically mentions two areas of research, both of which could account for my former student's. . . issues.” His blue eyes were serious as he studied the younger man. “Why do you care so much?” he finally asked, blunt almost to the point of rudeness.

“Yondaime-sama -”

“It's not an out of place question, Umino. You're barely even acquainted with Kakashi, let alone his friend. And I take a very particular interest in him; he's lost so much and so many precious people in his life. I don't ever want to see him have to go through more.”

Iruka took time to consider his answer, not so much the truth of it but how best to phrase it. This wasn't like his conversation with Genma, when he had more-or-less laughed off the jounin's innuendos. This was the Hokage, and not only that this was a man who had been Kakashi's teacher and still retained a healthy level of concern for his former charge. He decided to go for full honesty and hope that his emotions could be kept out of it.

“I was assigned to look after Hatake-san for a few days after his release from the hospital,” he began, keeping to a the bare essentials of the facts. “I got to know him better over those days and was pulled in again by Tsunade-hime when he landed back in the hospital. I've been made aware of his issues, as you called them, and think I can help. What's more I want to help.”

Minato nodded and smiled slightly, as if the answer pleased him, and Iruka felt like he had passed some unspoken test. “Well, I'm not going to ignore a request from one of my commanders, especially not when it involves something like this and someone that I trust.” He smiled at Iruka as he spoke the last part. “I am, however, going to insist that a member of my staff be present during all of your research.” He touched a seal on his desk and chakra sparked in a summons.

A few minutes later there was a light knock on the office door, which opened immediately after. The woman who entered the office was not overly tall but carried herself in such a way as to give an impression of height. She wore the standard jounin uniform, minus a hitai-ate, and her long red hair was braided and looped around her head, rather like a crown. She smiled when she approached the desk. “You called me, Hokage-sama?”

“Yes, Kushina,” he replied with a business-like nod. “I am granting Yamanaka-san's request with regard to Umino, here. Will you please escort him through his research in Restricted Records, and provide any help he might require?” He looked between the two of them for a moment, then seemed to realize something was missing. “Oh! Umino Iruka, meet Uzumaki Kushina, a fellow sensory specialist.” He glanced at his watch and stood. “I'm due at a council meeting. You two have everything you need, I trust, so I'll get out of your way.” And he left the office at a brisk pace, white and red haori billowing behind him.

When the door closed Kushina turned to him. “So you're the famous Umino Iruka,” she mused. “The man who caught the Hokage's wife.”

Iruka felt a flush crawl up his face, but whether it was embarrassment or anger he didn't know. Under the best of circumstances he disliked being reminded of his role in ending that woman's spying, and it had now been a feature in two separate conversations recently. He was about to respond when his companion moved to the desk where she picked up Inoichi's authorization letter.

“Hmmm.” She glanced back at Iruka, eyebrows raised. “This is rather specific,” she said, waving the piece of paper. “Normally when someone requests access to the restricted archives it's very general.” She read through the letter again. “And this is for an active case? That's rather unusual as well.”

Iruka fought an urge to fidget under her gaze. “Uzumaki-san. . .”

She slashed one hand through the air. “Please. It's Kushina. I hate that formality between colleagues.” She folded the letter and stuck it in a pocket of her flak vest. “Well, let's get going,” she said with a grin. “The day isn't getting any younger.”

It was two hours later before either of them said another word. Kushina had been a great help; her knowledge of the archives bringing applicable materials to Iruka without any hesitation. She had left him alone and disappeared into the stacks in search of more scrolls, occasionally reappearing to place some on the table. After about an hour of that she sat opposite Iruka and started to read, stopping every now and again to mark a passage with a hint of chakra. When she had read through five scrolls she suddenly stopped and gazed at him.

“This is about Hatake, isn't it?” she finally asked.

Iruka managed to not roll his eyes, but it was a close thing. Frankly he was getting extremely tired of being asked that question. He simply made a noise indicating agreement with her assessment and went back to what he was reading.

“You're attracted to him.”

Iruka started and glanced up, meeting the wide, violet eyes of the woman sitting across the table. She laughed. “I'm a sensor, like you. There was a fluctuation in your chakra when I mentioned his name. Pretty easy to figure out the rest.”

Iruka snorted. “And I've been trying so hard to keep that out of all of this,” he mumbled, half to himself.

“And I'd say you've been successful,” Kushina said. “Even with Inoichi, who may be able to read people without one of his fancy techniques, but is still a man. And frankly I have yet to meet a man who isn't dense as hell when it comes to feelings.” She grinned. “Even you. You're just less dense than the average male.” When Iruka blushed she grew serious. “Look, I'm not trying to make fun of you, or make light of your feelings. Kakashi is. . . Well, he can be a real asshole at times but underneath all of that he's a good man. A man who deserves to have someone at his side. A man who, I'm guessing, reciprocates your attraction?”

Iruka simply nodded, unwilling to share any more. The memory of that kiss on his cheek still burned in his mind. Kushina didn't question his reticence, simply turned back to their research. “The answer will be somewhere, Iruka. And you have the best motive for finding it.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

_The hand on his cock felt almost as good as the cock in his ass, nudging against his prostrate with each thrust. He arched his back, and that small shift in angle had the hardness inside him dragging across that sensitive gland, pulling moans from deep in his chest. The hand was jerking him off in time with each thrust, and a hot tongue slid up his spine and across his neck, stopping just behind his ear._

“ _Cum for me, Kakashi. You're so fucking gorgeous when you cum.”_

_The last words were buried beneath a cry of pleasure as his orgasm rushed through him, whiting out his vision for a long, drawn out moment. . ._

Kakashi jerked awake, conscious of his racing heart, the sweat prickling his skin, and an almost painful erection. He wasted no time in bringing himself off with a few quick strokes, then lay there in the dark trying to catch his breath. That had been the most intense of his visions to date, but oddly enough one that wasn't accompanied by either dizziness or a blistering headache. Whether that was because he had been asleep or because he was growing accustomed to it all remained a question.

And the voice of his partner. . . It had been familiar, but definitely not Obito's voice. Which meant it wasn't a dream or a memory. He lifted a hand to his face and covered his eyes, blocking out everything around him in an effort to concentrate on what he had felt and heard in that vision. But the details were slipping away as fast as they had in every other instance, until all that was left was the strength of the impression it had left and a drying crust of semen on his belly. He rose from the bed and staggered to the bathroom, intent on a shower.

Half an hour later, clean and relaxed from the hot water he went to the kitchen to make some tea, hoping it would complete the job the shower had started and allow him to salvage some sleep out of the night. But the scent of the tea brewing brought to mind the night he had sat on his bed with Iruka, sipping tea and speaking of ridiculous things. He hadn't seen the other man since their dinner after the first exam of the chuunin trials and wondered what he was doing. There were still three days to go in the Forest of Death before all of the assigned proctors where needed again; he supposed he'd have to be content with waiting until then to see the tokujo again.

But. . . A niggling feeling started at the back of his mind and he felt the force of his most recent vision wash over him again. The voice of the man he had been with. . . He closed his eyes and focused inward, determined to pin down that one detail if nothing else.

_Cum for me, Kakashi._

His eyes flew open as the truth hit him like a ton of bricks. That voice had been Iruka's.

He shook his head as if to deny that reality, but he couldn't escape what he knew to be the truth. Kakashi had spent years cultivating non-traditional skills, and while most active shinobi had excellent memories for facts he had done them one better with almost perfect recall for images, for faces and voices. There was no mistake; the man in that dream/vision, the man that had fucked him hard enough to make him scream, had been Iruka.

He thought back to that first sexual image he had had of Iruka. The hand that had caressed the tokujo's chest had been pale, the skin like porcelain. There had also been a scar that curved from the base of the thumb and across the wrist. He looked down at his right hand and traced the self-same scar with his left index finger.


	5. Chapter 5

The day after his search of the Restricted Records Iruka made his way to the Academy at lunchtime, hoping to catch one of the teachers on his break. He knew that he needed as much information as possible, and from as many different sources, and some information that he had stumbled across in his research had led Iruka to believe that Tenzou Yamato might have some insight, gleaned from years spent in one of Orochimaru's labs. Whether or not he'd be willing to help Iruka was another question. The teacher probably knew Kakashi the best after the Yondaime and Nohara-san, but with one big difference; what Yamato knew of the jounin he didn't particularly like.

Iruka found the teacher in his classroom, writing notes for the afternoon's exercises on the blackboard. A half-empty bento sat on the desk, reminding the tokujo that he hadn't eaten since just after five that morning. With luck he'd get through this interview without a growling stomach causing him embarrassment. He knocked lightly on the door.

There was a sigh of exasperation from the man in the room. “For the eighth time, Yoshi-kun, I am _not_ going to teach you the Headhunter Jutsu so you can scare your little sister.”

Iruka chuckled. “Where do kids get these ideas from?”

Yamato-sensei tensed and the chalk in his hand broke. With a sound of disgust he dropped the remains into the rack and turned, wiping his hands on his flak vest as he did. “Yoshi-kun comes from a family of Earth Release specialists and sees no reason why he shouldn't be able to emulate them, even at the tender age of seven.” He smiled slightly. “And apparently his older brothers were fond of using that technique to scare him.”

“So he figures he should just pass it on down the line?” Iruka asked, returning the smile.

“Something like that.” Yamato searched out another decent sized piece of chalk and went back to the board. “But I don't imagine you're hear to speak to me about the more violent tendencies of my students, Umino-san. In fact, if gossip is to be believed, I can take a pretty good guess as to why you're here.”

“In that case I'll get right to it, Tenzou-san. What do you know about what's happening to Hatake Kakashi?”

The shocked expression on the teacher's face told Iruka that whatever the chuunin-sensei had been expecting it hadn't been that. Or, at least, not exactly that. Yamato laughed, a harsh and unpleasant sound in the cheery, sunlit room. “What makes you think I know anything? Failed experiments aren't exactly privy to such knowledge.”

“Failed experiments aren't usually alive either,” Iruka countered, not mincing words. “But you are. He valued you. According to the records he wanted you to go with him when he left on his research mission, but you refused and Sandaime-sama backed you up. You've been teaching ever since and haven't accepted any mission above C-rank in years.”

The expression on Yamato's face grew increasingly angry with each word Iruka spoke, but the teacher held his tongue until the tokujo was done. “I'm well aware of my history,” he grated out. “And the Sandaime's support on that count means shit all compared to allowing those experiments to be conducted in the first place.” He snorted. “You say I was valued. I don't even know what that means.”

“It means he trusted you enough to allow you to work with him, not just be an experiment. It means you may have seen or heard something during those years that could be helpful now.”

“Even if I did know something what makes you think I'd share it with you?” Yamato asked.

Iruka wasn't fooled by the teacher's apparent uncaring attitude. Underneath all of that he could feel the other man's concern that one of the village's top jounin (even though he didn't particularly like the man) was in such a state, and even further underneath he could sense that the teacher did know something. Whether it would be helpful or not remained to be seen. “You'll share because in spite of feeling that the village let you down you still care about the people in it,” Iruka quietly replied. “You may take issue with decisions that the Sandaime made but you still understand these things were done out of a sense of the greater good. And everything I know about you, and can sense, tells me that you also believe in the greater good.”

Yamato sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Damned sensors,” he muttered under his breath. “Okay, there is something that may – MAY – be connected to all of this.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “But there are less than fifteen minutes before the students are back from their lunch break and that's not enough time.”

It was on the tip of Iruka's tongue to suggest that Yamato come to T & I after classes were over for the day when he realized that that would thoroughly unnerve the teacher. “Do you know the dango shop on the corner before the entrance to the Uchiha compound?” Yamato nodded. “I'll be there at four o'clock this afternoon, fair enough?”

Yamato agreed and Iruka left the Academy, mind turning over what possibilities the sensei might share.

****~**~**~**~**~****

Iruka had suggested that particular dango shop because he had to go to the Uchiha compound anyway. The final authorization letter that Inoichi had written for him had been burning a hole in his pocket for two days, but he had been reluctant to use it. He knew, as did almost everyone in Konoha, that the Uchiha clan bore a substantial grudge against Kakashi for his possession of a Sharingan. Regardless of the fact that the eye had been gifted to him by one of their own many of the Uchiha looked on Kakashi as some sort of usurper. Under the circumstances he wasn't comfortable asking for their help.

“You do realize that many of the documents in our clan archives are in an archaic script that requires the Sharingan to read and translate, don't you?” Uchiha Fugaku asked as he folded the letter from the T & I commander and stashed it in a pocket of his yukata.

Iruka met the older man's gaze directly, refusing to back down or allow himself to be intimidated. “I do. I also know that at least eighty per cent have been copied and translated, particularly the documents that are considered part of the historical heritage of the entire village.”

Fugaku grunted, seemingly in anger, but it was followed by a self-deprecating smile; a smile that acknowledged that his attempt to discomfit Iruka had been unsuccessful. “Fair enough,” he said. “But there are other factors at work -” He stiffened suddenly and half turned away, gesturing with one arm. “Walk with me, Umino-san.”

Iruka had felt the burst of angry chakra behind him and he knew what it meant, so he didn't hesitate to move off in Fugaku's wake. He didn't look back, but he knew there were two people there, and he found himself wondering why those particular people unnerved the Uchiha clan leader.

When they were around the corner and safely out of earshot Fugaku turned to the younger man, “My apologies,” he said with a shrug. “There are many people within the clan hierarchy that would frown on my talking to you, especially if they learned it's to aid Hatake.”

Iruka gave a mirthless chuckle. “Never underestimate the power of a gossip chain,” he said with a shake of his head.

Fugaku smiled. “Quite.” He looked back in the direction from which they had come, staring at the chain of lanterns emblazoned with the clan emblem. “You need to understand that there are some Uchiha that fear the Sharingan is actually dying out. Each generation has fewer people able to awaken it and utilize it's power. My cousin, Obito. . .” His voice trailed off and his jaw visibly clenched in an effort to exert control. “Obito was the last to gain a Sharingan. Not even my son, Itachi, who is widely considered to be a prodigy, has done so. And for it to have been given away like that. . .”

Iruka understood, and had some sympathy for, what the clan was enduring, but he also knew that Kakashi was a worthy recipient of that amazing gift. He needed to tread carefully though, if he wanted to truly gain Fugaku's cooperation. “Obito-san would not have gifted his Sharingan to just anyone. He trusted Hatake-san with what was most precious to him, and I believe you can too.”

The clan leader looked skeptical, but resumed walking again and changed the subject. “I will grant you access to the records you are interested in,” he said. “But I would prefer for you to peruse them outside of the compound. I can have everything brought to police headquarters tomorrow morning. Would that be agreeable?”

“Wouldn't the same concerns apply to police headquarters?” Iruka asked, the question slipping out almost against his will. “I. . . I mean. . .”

“Most of the Uchiha that serve in the police are loyal to Konoha, to me, and the clan. In that order. They may not be comfortable with allowing an outsider to look through the archives, but they won't say anything against it.”

Iruka nodded. “Then that would, indeed, be agreeable,” he replied with a quick bow to excuse himself. But before he turned to leave Fugaku caught him by the wrist.

“Before you go, Umino, I'd like you to consider something.” Fugaku pushed a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture before continuing. “The fact that Hatake has a Sharingan but not the blood, or genetics, that go along with it could allow it to be used against him.”

Although Iruka had been recruited to T & I primarily because of his sensory skills he had more than enough intelligence for the job, and he was able to put the pieces together quite easily. “You're saying that as much as a Sharingan can cast a genjutsu it may also, in Hatake's case, be some sort of receiver? That someone is using the Sharingan to bypass his defenses against genjutsu and get directly inside his brain?”

“It's a possibility that should be considered, don't you think?”

****~**~**~**~**~****

There were still three hours before he was due to meet with Yamato so Iruka made his way to the Hokage Tower, intent on discovering if Fugaku's theory was even possible. Like many people outside the Uchiha clan he had only a rudimentary understanding of the Sharingan, and he needed to know much, much more. He knew that the Restricted Records Room had scrolls and books on the most prominent clans, and their kekkei genkai, so he used his still valid authorization in pursuit of information.

It didn't surprise him one bit when Kushina came into the room barely ten minutes after his arrival. She glanced at the book he was absorbed in and raised an eyebrow, so Iruka quickly reviewed his conversation with the Uchiha clan leader and explained Fugaku's idea about what could be causing Kakashi's difficulties. Kushina hummed thoughtfully in response, then stood and disappeared into the stacks. She returned a few minutes later with two scrolls.

“This one -” She held up one scroll before placing it on the table in front of Iruka. “- is a scientific treatise on genjutsu; how the techniques target the senses, which is more effective, et cetera. This one -” The second scroll was placed beside the first. “- is a study of medical ninjutsu, specifically those used in transplants.” She picked up the Uchiha genealogy that he had been studying and waved it in his face. “This is less than useless. At least the others might contain some useful information.” And with a snort and a shake of her head she left the room, unceremoniously shoving the genealogy on one of the shelving carts.

Iruka found himself silently vowing to never get on Uzumaki Kushina's bad side and turned his attention to the scrolls she had placed before him.

Two hours later he started when Kushina returned; he had been so completely absorbed in his research and had barely noticed time passing. The crick in his neck, however, was a good testament to how long he had been there.

“So?” Kushina asked, grin wide. “Find anything interesting? Or even helpful?”

Iruka stretched his arms above his head and winced at the sound of joints popping. Stray hairs were falling into his face so he re-tied his ponytail before responding. “Well, I learned that the reason sight-based genjutsus are so common is because the eyes are particularly vulnerable, although scent-based ones are usually more effective.”

“So score one point for Fugaku-san's theory,” Kushina replied. “What else?”

“The Sharingan's ability to cast genjutsu is regarded as outside the normal classification system. That, and the Uchiha clan's insularity, mean that it hasn't been studied in any great detail. But most experts agree that it's power would be restricted to casting sight-based techniques, for obvious reasons.” Iruka smiled. “So let's give the theory another half-point.”

Kushina nodded and picked up the medical scroll. “Anything on this front?”

“Depends on your definitions of 'interesting' and 'helpful'.” He took the scroll from her and unrolled it partway. “As far as this author knows there has never been a known instance of a physical kekkei genkai being transplanted.” He chuckled. “Nohara-san would be the toast of the medic-nin community if she would actually write up the case, but I understand why she doesn't. But to continue. . .” He laid one hand flat on the scroll. “There are two case studies of organ transplants having a measurable effect on the recipient's chakra; both were organs that are fully integrated in the chakra circulatory system. In fact two organs that are each closely related to one of the Eight Inner Gates.”

Kushina looked slightly confused for a moment. “The eyes are connected to one of the Inner Gates,” she said. “So whatever is in those two case studies should be applicable, right?”

“Under normal circumstances I'd agree, but we're taking about something outside the _normal_ sphere of knowledge. What's in here might apply to a situation in which your eyes, or mine, were transplanted into someone, but we can't assume that the same is true of a Sharingan user. Especially one who wasn't born to use it. I think the impact that eye has on Kakashi's chakra levels whenever he has to use it makes that point rather nicely.” Iruka released the scroll and it rolled back in on itself. “And if you combine that with the unique vulnerability of eyes to genjutsu. . . Well, I'm thinking that Fugaku's theory has just taken a commanding lead.”

Kushina was thinking; Iruka could almost see the wheels turning in her head. “Was Kakashi scanned with a Byakugan?” she finally asked, making him smile a little. It was a pleasure to be working with someone who's mind followed his so easily.

“Yes, he was. It's a standard procedure in the debriefing process, especially after an A rank mission.”

“Buuuut?”

“The Sharingan was covered at the time, and it was one of the younger Hyuga doing the scan.”

“So you're thinking that another scan, with the Sharingan uncovered and open, might yield some answers,” Kushina said, glancing sidelong at him.

Iruka nodded. “Especially if it's done by a more experienced Byakugan user.”

Kushina laughed, but took the hint. “You want Minato-sama to get Hyuga Hiashi to cooperate.”

“It'd be a help.”

“Okay, I'll see what I can about that.” She gave him a searching glance. “But you can't rely on that to provide an answer.”

“I'm not,” Iruka replied. “I've got another possibility.” He shuddered slightly. “It's not something I'd ordinarily choose to pursue, but I can't afford to pass up the chance of there being information in Orochimaru's records.”

“You're meeting with Yamato-sensei,” Kushina said, suddenly all seriousness. “Just. . . don't push him too hard, all right? He may be willing to cooperate with you but that doesn't mean he'll be comfortable with any of this, Especially if it means delving into some of his worst memories.”

Iruka nodded; he had already sensed the teacher's uneasiness with the entire situation. He glanced at his watch and shot to his feet. “Shit! I'm going to be late!”

****~**~**~**~**~****

He _was_ late, but not by much. The tea in the pot was still too hot to drink, although Yamato obligingly poured him a cup as he took a seat.

“I ordered mitarashi,” the teacher said. “I hope that's okay with you?”

“Mmm, fine,” Iruka responded as his stomach rumbled. “I'm hungry enough to eat just about anything.”

They indulged in more-or-less mindless small talk as the dango were eaten and the tea drunk. Iruka was somewhat surprised to find that the unassuming chuunin was bright and witty, with a sarcastic sense of humor that had a definite appeal. In ordinary circumstances he could see the two of them as friends, but for the time being he could not forget that this was official business, and that Yamato might have information that could prove vital.

Yamato didn't forget, either. He pushed his tea cup away and folded his arms on the table. “As enjoyable as this conversation has been I know we're not here for that. So let's just get to the point.”

Iruka nodded. “You have to start,” he told the other man. “You told me earlier today that you might know something important, so just tell me. I'm not going to ask questions and try and draw the information out of you.”

“That's fair, I suppose,” he said as he rubbed at a spot on the table. Then he suddenly looked up and met Iruka's gaze directly. “This is all going to sound crazy, so you need to bear with me.” When the other inclined his head in agreement Yamato continued. “Do you believe in magic, Umino-san?”

If Iruka had still been drinking tea he might have choked. As it was he coughed violently for a moment before he could say anything. “Magic?” he finally managed to gasp out. “What does that -”

Yamato glared at him. “I said it would sound crazy. But that might have been the wrong question. I should have asked what do you know about the Five Guardian Spirits?”

“Not much,” Iruka admitted. “We had a unit on all of those legends when I was at the Academy, but that's about it.”

“Well, _he_ had something of an obsession with them. I think he honestly believed that there was something to all of those stories. Namely that what we call chakra is just the ancient magic, channeled in a different way.”

Iruka felt his eyebrows rise. “You have my attention,” he said softly.

Yamato removed his hitai-ate and shoved a hand through his hair. “There was a book of. . . spells, for lack of a better word. And one in particular that he was interested in. It was a spell to reach into the past and change one small, seemingly insignificant event. An event that nobody would ever think could have a large impact. That change would create an alternate timeline of events, but the ripples -”

“The ripples would spread outward, and the effect would be increased each time something else was altered,” Iruka interrupted. “Until. . .”

Yamato nodded. “Take something like that far enough and you would be looking at total social, political, and economic collapse. But there's a problem with the spell that I discovered.” He took a deep breath. “The farther back in time you try to reach the more likely it is that reality – the actual course of events – will seep through the cracks in the alternate timeline.”

“Okay, I follow. But what does this have to do with what's happening to Kakashi?”

“Like I said a lot of people believe in these legends; in a remote area of Earth Country it's practically a religion. Especially the idea that chakra is just a re-invention of that ancient magic. So if anyone were to attempt a spell like what I described they'd need, potentially, an enormous amount of chakra, or just one enormously powerful individual. Like Hatake-san.”

“And if one enormously powered individual were used he'd be in the center of everything,” Iruka mused. “The eye of the storm, so to speak.”

“Which means, if my speculation is correct, that individual would be even more susceptible to his or her personal reality pushing through the cracks.”

“And you think that is what's happening to Kakashi? That the verbal stumbles and the strange visions are a reality that we aren't aware of seeping through.” Iruka paused for a moment, thinking. “But that would mean -”

“It would mean that none of this – this Konoha and these people – is what should really be. We might all be completely different.” Yamato scrubbed his face with one hand. “But it's only a possibility. And not even a very likely one.” He laughed. “Magic? Spells? Alternate realities and timelines? It's a little ridiculous, don't you think?”

Iruka felt his mouth twist in a rueful smile. “No more ridiculous than anyone else's theory.”


	6. Chapter 6

At ten o'clock the next morning Iruka, accompanied by Kushina, knocked on the door of Kakashi's apartment. When he had arrived home the previous evening he had been greeted by two messages. One was from Uchiha Fugaku, explaining that it was proving to be more difficult than expected to get certain materials out of the clan archives, and would Umino-san please be patient for at least another day. Iruka had huffed a little in anger, but knew there wasn't anything to be done. The Uchiha clan elders had a tendency to jealously guard anything to do with their heritage, and Fugaku was already taking a risk in talking to him. No need to make it worse.

He had been lamenting the loss of an entire day's research when he spotted the second message. The scroll was closed with a special wax and embossed with the seal of the Yondaime Hokage. The wax scanned his chakra as soon as he touched it, then disappeared. The message was simple and to the point, phrased almost as a set of mission orders. It said that at ten-thirty the following morning he, Kushina, and Kakashi were to present themselves at the Hyuga compound to meet with Hiashi-sama. A small note at the bottom said that copies of the order had been sent to all parties concerned.

Iruka had been surprised at first, but then felt a sweeping sense of triumph. So the day would not be a total loss, and if things worked out the way he hoped they would it might not even be necessary to delve into the Uchiha archives. That would make Fugaku happy, at least.

So now he stood on the shadowed walkway outside the other man's home, waiting. He fully expected it would take a while for the door to be answered; Kakashi's reputation for lateness was not undeserved. Kushina fidgeted at his side, and when he glanced at her she grinned.

“The ass always makes people wait,” she said, her voiced tinged with a combination of affection and exasperation.

“I prefer to think of it as keeping others on their toes.”

The door had opened silently and Kakashi was there. He bowed slightly to Iruka, but there was a twinkle in his eye as he did so that made the tokujo smile. Then he turned to Iruka's companion. “Kushina-sensei,” he said, bowing lower.

“Jackass,” Kushina greeted him, wringing a laugh out of Kakashi.

“Sensei?” Iruka asked, looking from one to the other.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Kushina replied with a mock-disgusted shake of her head. “When Minato became Hokage I had to take over as the jounin captain of his team, which meant I got stuck with him and the other two.” Her eyes rolled. “Worst two years of my life.”

“No less horrid for me, I assure you.” The grin on Kakashi's face belied his words, however. “What a joyous day it was when I made jounin myself,” he concluded with a dramatic sigh and a hand pressed to his heart.

Iruka laughed at the combined antics of the pair, then noticed the underlying current of uneasiness that was all but radiating off of Kakashi. Kushina must have felt it at the same moment, because her smile slipped and she reached out a hand to touch her fellow jounin's arm briefly. Kakashi met her eyes and his nervousness perceptibly lessened. Iruka stretched his senses out more, nudging against the silver-haired man's emotional center, surprised when Kakashi let him in.

_Kushina, hair loose and hanging nearly to her knees, laughing as she walked down the street with Uchiha Mikoto at her side. The Uchiha matriarch had an infant in a sling across her chest, smiling gently down at the baby, then laughing as her friend laid a hand on the tuft of dark hair visible above the blankets. . ._

Iruka gasped and staggered back, catching himself before he could fall down the steps. Quick as lightning Kakashi was beside him, clasping one of his arms and steadying him. He used his hold to lower the other man until he was sitting on the top step.

“Iruka?!” Kushina's concerned voice penetrated the fog that had settled on his mind. When she knelt at his side he blinked rapidly and focused on her face, almost surprised to see her with her hair bound. He could feel her chakra pushing against his, and he shook his head.

“I'm okay,” he said, irritated by the breathless sound of his voice. “I'm okay,” he repeated.

Kushina looked from Iruka's pale face to Kakashi. “What happened?” she asked, voice rising in agitation.

Iruka didn't quite know how to answer that question, but he had his suspicions. He had just shared one of Kakashi's visions.

****~**~**~**~**~****

“You realize this is a somewhat unusual circumstance?” Hyuga Hiashi asked, holding his copy of the scroll from the Hokage's office. “Normally once a shinobi is declared free from interference the matter ends.” He looked at Iruka, pale eyes intent.

Iruka had enough control to not flinch away from the gaze, but only just. Even without the Byakugan activated it was unnerving to be studied by any Hyuga. “If this was a normal situation I'd wholeheartedly agree with you, Hiashi-sama. But things that have happened since the day Hatake-san was debriefed have led us to believe that a more thorough scan would be beneficial.”

“Specifically we need you to check on the status and function of his Sharingan,” Kushina put in. Kakashi started at that news, his gaze jumping between all three of them. “We have reason to believe that it might be the source of some. . . issues.”

Hiashi shifted his gaze to Kakashi for a long moment, then nodded and gestured for the jounin to sit in the seat across from him. Kakashi did so, not without a hint of trepidation. Once he was settled he raised his hitai-ate and opened the Sharingan, meeting Hiashi's eyes as the other man activated the Byakugan. He sat calmly, patiently waiting. Iruka felt like he was probably more nervous.

Finally Hiashi sat back and his eyes returned to their normal state. “There is nothing interfering with the function of his Sharingan,” he said, gesturing for Kakashi to lower his hitai-ate again.. “No unusual, or foreign, chakra. No jutsu of any sort.” He glanced back at Kakashi. “There is something, though. . .” His voice trailed off.

Kushina perked up. “Something?” she prompted. Kakashi kept his face impassive, although Iruka could feel his curiosity from across the room.

“It's almost like a. . . well, a wall has been built around his long-term memory,” Hiashi replied.

“But you said there wasn't any chakra but my own,” Kakashi spoke for the first time.”

“This isn't chakra. It's very similar, of course, or I wouldn't have been able to see it. But it lacks several of chakra's defining characteristics.” Hiashi's eyes narrowed. “Namely it isn't circulating at all, just blocking pathways to certain sectors of your memory.”

Kushina glanced at Iruka, who gave his head a nearly imperceptible shake. “Memory loss isn't a factor in this, Hiashi-sama.”

The Hyuga leader shrugged. “All I can tell you is what I saw. It's up to you to figure out what it means.”

They all stood up to take their leave, but Iruka deliberately hung back as Kushina and Kakashi resumed their good-natured bickering through the halls of the Hyuga compound. They were nearing the front gate when he reached out a hand and caught Hiashi's sleeve. “Could I speak to you for a moment, Hiashi-sama? In private?”

The Hyuga leader studied him for a long moment before giving a nod. Kushina glared at Iruka, one eyebrow raised. He shook his head and gestured for her and Kakashi to go ahead and leave. She didn't look happy, but she complied. Kakashi looked nervous, so Iruka took a moment to lay a hand on his arm.

“It's all right,” he whispered. “Everything's fine.”

Kakashi removed the tokujo's hand from his arm and entwined their fingers. “Promise?”

Iruka's smile was a little twisted as he squeezed the fingers enmeshed in his. “Maybe not promise,” he said. “But I'll do my best.”

Kakashi left then, looking somewhat happier, and when Iruka turned away from the door he saw Hiashi studying him again, a speculative look in his eyes. Iruka felt a blush rising in his face but he didn't look away. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him, because Hiashi nodded before leading the other man to one of the small reception rooms off of the main hallway.

“I'm surprised you won't discuss this in front of the others,” Hiashi began once they were comfortably seated. “ Especially Hatake-san. It's obvious that you care about him.”

Iruka's grin was rueful. “I'm not sure about discussing this with anyone, to be honest,” he said before launching into the story that Yamato had shared with him the previous day.

When he was finished Hiashi took a deep breath. “I know the legends, of course,” he said after a moment's thought. “They pre-date even the tales of the Rabbit Goddess and the Sage of the Six Paths. The Great One is considered by many scholars to be the most prevalent creation myth in our world. Most legends say he left his five daughters on Earth to watch over humankind. Some say that the Five Guardians were the original cultivators of the Divine Tree from which Kaguya stole the fruit to imbue herself with chakra.” He shrugged when he saw the look on Iruka's face. “If one knows where to look there are no shortage of tales related to the Five Guardian Spirits.”

“And this so-called book of spells that Yamato-sensei remembers from his time with Orochimaru?” Iruka asked.

“Is real,” Hiashi replied. “I've seen it. A different copy, of course, but I know it's real.”

The tokujo pinched the bridge of his nose then rubbed across the ridge of his scar. “Okay, I can accept that. But now I have to ask: that. . . whatever it was that you saw blocking parts of Kakashi's memory. You said it was similar, but not exactly chakra. Would this 'magic' account for that?”

Hiashi didn't hesitate. “If we assume that the ancient legends are true and that chakra evolved out of the magic of the Five Guardian Spirits through their cultivation of the Divine Tree then yes, the 'magic' could definitely be what I was looking at.”

“But Kushina said it and I know it; memory loss is not a part of Kakashi's condition. So what would these magical walls be doing to his memory?”

Hiashi smiled, and it was not even remotely pleasant. “If Yamato-sensei is correct in the details of the spell he remembered then those blocks, walls, whatever you want to call them, would be the dike holding back reality. And I personally would not want to be present when they finally break.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

Under normal circumstances Kakashi would have chosen to wait for Iruka, but he was feeling more emotionally off balance then he would have expected, so when Kushina suggested he go directly home he didn't argue. He wasn't even bothered by the fact that she accompanied him the whole way and entered the apartment on his heels. After making tea he sat on the sofa and regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

“Don't give me that look,” Kushina grunted. “You know damned well why I'm still here. So just tell me what's going through that hare-brained skull of yours.” Her face was perfectly serious as she met his gaze. “And you can start by telling me what happened to Iruka before we even left here.”

“How should I know?” Kushina leaned forward and studied him for a moment, then moved so fast he barely saw her to smack him on the back of the head. “Ow! Ow!” Kakashi howled, not quite able to cover his laughter. “I'm recovering from a concussion, you know.”

“If you don't want another I suggest you answer me. I'm neither an idiot nor blind; you know exactly what happened to Iruka. And although you hid it fairly well I sensed you were in pain at the same moment.” Her eyes widened. “Did Iruka. . .?”

Kakashi stood and moved to look out the window, deliberately keeping his back to Kushina. “You'd have to ask him to be certain, but I'd say yes. He somehow tapped into one of my visions.” He gave his head a shake and chuckled. “Damned sensors,” he grumbled, just loud enough for her to hear.

“Kakashi.”

Something in Kushina's voice made him turn back around and meet her eyes, surprised at the serious expression on her face. “Kakashi,” she repeated. “Not even the best, most skilled sensor – and Iruka _is_ one of the best – can get inside the mind of a subject like that. Tap into emotions and know what you're feeling, yes. Know how your chakra feeds into emotions, absolutely. But actually be aware of what's in your mind at any given moment? It should be impossible.” She took a deep breath. “Sensing isn't mind reading, even though a lot of people think it is. Even a Yamanaka needs a specialty jutsu to move beyond being a sensor.”

Kakashi was feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation and he tried to shrug it off. “Well, as I said you'd have to ask Iruka what, exactly, all of that was. We may be totally off the mark.”

Kushina's expression told him she clearly doubted that, but she held her peace. They drank their tea in silence after that, but when she was leaving Kushina turned back to him. “I'm going to ask Yondaime-sama to issue orders for another check,” she said. “I want Inoichi to take a look inside your head. Maybe he can figure out what those blocks on your memory that Hiashi-sama mentioned are. Or even see past them.”

“And you think that might be the answer to all of this?” Kakashi asked, looking incredulous.

Kushina smiled. “The answer, yes. But not the solution.”

“Aren't those the same thing?”

“Not in this case.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

The next morning Iruka made his way to police headquarters in response to a message from Uchiha Fugaku. He wasn't really sure if he needed to study the documents that the man had “liberated” from the clan archives, but he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity. That and he had a healthy amount of respect for Fugaku's intelligence and discretion; it was possible that the Uchiha could offer a different perspective on the things he had learned since they had first spoken.

When he walked in the front door of the imposing building he was surprised to see Fugaku himself waiting to greet him. He had fully expected to have to run an obstacle course of assorted clerks, assistants, and petty functionaries. Fugaku caught the look on his face and grinned slightly, gesturing for Iruka to follow him. The wound their way through headquarters, down a flight of stairs and to the end of a dimly lit hallway. Fugaku used his Sharingan to unlock the double doors they came to, and the lights in the room brightened in response to a pulse of his chakra. When the door closed behind them it glowed green for a moment, securing the room.

“I'm sorry for all of this,” Fugaku said, taking a seat at the plain table in the center of the room. “I can't take any chances with what we're doing.”

Iruka nodded, sitting across from the Uchiha. “I understand,” he replied. “I'd rather not have any of this become public knowledge either.” He flipped idly through one of the books on the table. “Fugaku-san. . .” he began.

The other man had long since noticed his abstracted state of mind, but he didn't speak, simply waited for Iruka to broach the subject.

“I. . . I'm not ungrateful,” he started, feeling a heat climbing his cheeks. “And I do still want to learn what I can from these materials, but I think. . .”

“You think – or maybe even know – that whatever is wrong with Hatake is not connected to his Sharingan.” When Iruka nodded in confirmation Fugaku stared at him, considering and rubbing his chin. “Can you tell me why?” he asked finally.

Iruka felt his face heat. “Not without you thinking I've gone completely round the bend,” he said, rubbing his nose in an effort to cover his embarrassment.

Fugaku laughed. “I've been a police officer in this village for nearly thirty years,” he said, grinning. “And considering all of the things I've seen in that time I doubt that I'll think you are crazy.”

“Put that way how can I argue?” Iruka replied, and proceeded to lay out the entire story in as organized a fashion as he could, considering it had come to him in bits and pieces. Fugaku listened without interruption, although once or twice he clearly wanted to interject a comment. When everything had been told there was a long silence in the room as Iruka studied the older man.

“You're not surprised,” he finally said. “No, it's more than that.” Iruka reached out with his senses, eyes drifting closed as he allowed himself to feel. “You think it's all real.”

Fugaku bit his lower lip and then gave a rueful smile. “Sometimes I really hate sensory types,” he said. “Especially ones that are as good as you, Umino.” He pushed a hand through his hair and sighed. “But you're right that I'm not at all surprised. And yes, I think that the legends of the Five Guardian Spirits and magic and all the rest of it are real.”

“Can you tell me why?” Iruka asked, deliberately echoing the other man's earlier words.

The older man winced slightly before scrubbing his face with his hands. “I'm going to be blackballed as the clan leader at this rate.” His voice was muffled by his hands but Iruka still heard him clearly and patiently waited. Fugaku dropped his hands and went through a rapid series of seals. Every inch of the room's walls glowed orange for a brief moment, then faded. Iruka looked around before turning his attention back to the Uchiha, one eyebrow raised.

“It's a special jutsu used when discussing particularly. . . delicate cases,” he said. “More powerful than the standard silencing jutsu I used when we first came in.” He grinned. “Not as powerful as some that you T & I boys use when dealing with political prisoners, but it's the best I have.”

Iruka nodded. “And the reason why we need the extra security?”

“Because I'm about to share something with you that isn't known to most of the clan elders. And if they find out about this, well. . .” He took a deep breath. “Before he left on his voluntary exile Orochimaru left much of his library, and research notes, in the care of my father.” He reached out and plucked one book from the pile on the table. “I believe this is the book that Yamato-sensei mentioned to you, but this -” He retrieved a scroll that had been on one of the chairs. “This may be even more to the point.”

Iruka took the scroll, suppressing his shudder when he felt remnants of Orochimaru's chakra on it. “And what is this, exactly?” he asked.

“Well, depending on your point of view it's either the most complete version of the legend of the Five Guardian Spirits or it's the history of how Outsutsuki Kaguya betrayed the ideals of the Great One and brought the Divine Magic to mankind in the form of chakra.”

Iruka felt his eyebrows climb towards his hairline. “The 'history'? I thought the Rabbit Goddess was just as much a legend as the rest of it?”

Fugaku grinned. “Well, again that depends on your point of view.” He put the scroll into the tokujo's hands. “Read it and judge for yourself.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

By midnight that night Iruka had read through the scroll three times, but still didn't know what to think. In the back of his mind he could hear his Academy sensei's voice reminding him that myths usually had some basis in fact, but he was finding it hard to reconcile that with what he had read. It all just seemed too fanciful.

But. . .

He had to admit that there seemed to be a grain of truth in all of it. It was an undeniable fact that at some point in history mankind had not had access to chakra, since it was still possible for a person to be born without it. And the three genealogies, showing the descent of the Hyuga, Uchiha, and Senju clans from Kaguya, seemed accurate as far as he could tell.

So why was it so hard for him to believe that maybe – just maybe – all of it was true? Was it because the thought of magic was a little too fantastic for his eminently practical nature? Or maybe it all seemed just a little too mystical and spiritual?

No, it wasn't any of that, and he was honest enough with himself to admit it. What was holding him back was the idea of everything he knew not being the real world, but an alternate reality created by whatever had been done to Kakashi. And if all of this was fake then what did that mean for his attraction to, and growing feelings for, the other man?

“ _Do you ever take that mask off?”_

“ _Well, besides feeding me there is one surefire way to get me to lower it.” There was a soft rustle of fabric shifting. “Can I kiss you, Iruka?”_

_His breath caught. “You're asking permission?” he wondered, voice barely a whisper._

_The other man's voice was completely serious when he responded. “Yes, I am. I. . . I care for you, and I want to do this right.”_

_He barely had time to nod his assent before warm lips slanted over his._

Iruka shook his head, trying to shake away what had just happened. A part of him was convinced that he was hearing things, but the greater part knew the exact opposite was the case. Those words, those sounds, those feelings: it all felt more like a memory.

A memory of Kakashi.


	7. Chapter 7

Iruka didn't see Kakashi again until all of the exam proctors were gathered in the tower at the center of the Forest of Death to greet the genin that had made it that far. He was somewhat surprised that only three teams had come through intact and with both scrolls, but it was also a relief to know they wouldn't have to endure a session of preliminary bouts before the final round of the exam. The last time the chuunin exam was held eight teams came through the second round, and it had taken over thirteen hours to whittle those twenty-four genin down to a manageable number.

But eighteen teams had entered the Forest of Death, so the proctors were divided into pairs and given orders to search a designated sector of the forest for any stragglers. It came as no surprise to Iruka when he and Kakashi were teamed up; he had expected that the Yondaime's on-going worry about his former student would result in that. What he didn't expect, though, was Kakashi's worried frown as they left the tower. He smiled.

“Don't worry, Hatake-san,” he said. “If you have to go into the Forest of Death it's best to do it with a sensor at your side. Really cuts down on unexpected animal attacks.”

Kakashi just grunted and made a few quick hand signs, teleporting away. Iruka followed, smile still firmly in place.

****~**~**~**~**~****

Nearly two hours later they were on the last grid section of their designated search sector, and Kakashi could feel his energy lagging. The aftereffects of this most recent concussion were lingering for a ridiculous amount of time and the almost constant fatigue was starting to grate on his nerves. Or maybe it was the concerned looks Iruka kept giving him when the tokujo thought he wouldn't notice. His growing tiredness combined with a low-level headache finally made him snap.

“Stop it!”

Iruka looked at him, the surprise in his face quickly morphing into something else. “Stop what?” he blandly asked. “Being concerned? Worrying about how you're feeling? Worrying about _you_?”

His anger draining out of him as suddenly as if a plug had been pulled Kakashi sighed and sank down to sit on a fallen log. After a brief moment's hesitation Iruka followed, his warmth a welcome presence. “Why?” Kakashi asked after a moment of awkward silence. “Why do you worry? Before all of this happened we barely knew each other, and now. . .” His voice faded away as he shook his head. “It makes no sense. None of this makes any sense!”

“You're right, it doesn't,” Iruka replied in a soft voice. “But when has that ever stopped a shinobi?”

Kakashi laughed and glanced sidelong at his companion, acknowledging the truth of that statement. “Can I ask you a question?” he began, grinning a touch sheepishly. When Iruka nodded, tacitly agreeing to the change in subject the jounin went on. “The other morning, when we went to see Hiashi-sama. . . What happened to you? I felt your chakra poking around, pressing into me, trying to gauge how I was feeling, and then you just sort of collapsed.”

Iruka took a deep breath. He had been hoping to avoid this conversation all together, or at least until they figured out what was going on and had a way to fix it. He felt oddly exposed, figuratively stripped bare, which he knew was ridiculous. Since this entire mess had begun Kakashi had been the vulnerable one, and if he cared about the man at all (and Iruka was honest enough to admit that he cared a lot) he needed to remember that and not do anything to make it worse. The least he could do is confide what had happened. Maybe between the two of them they could figure out why certain things seemed to be seeping into him.

“It's your fault you know,” he finally said, lips curling in a soft smile. “You may not have been aware of what you were doing, but you opened your feelings for me. You let me in, and I saw -”

“You saw Kushina, a different Kushina to the one we know,” Kakashi broke in, remembering his own vision from that day. “Not in uniform, her hair down and hanging loose.”

Iruka nodded. “She was with Uchiha Mikoto-san, who was carrying a baby that I assume was her younger son.” He turned his head to meet Kakashi's steady gaze. “You saw the same,” he said before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I thought that the vision had just somehow passed on to me and hadn't affected you.” Then he laughed. “ I'm kind of relieved, now.”

Kakashi smiled. “Relieved?” he asked. “I'm not sure I'd be. Which is worse, the idea that one of my visions ended up in your head or the fact that we shared one?”

The tokujo's face fell. “Hell, when you put it like that both are bad options.” He twisted his hands together. “But. . . there's more.” When the jounin gestured for Iruka to continue he did so. “I had. . . well, a sort of vision of my own the other night. It was just voices, but I know it was you and I, and. . .” His voice trailed off and he glanced at Kakashi. “It felt like a memory.” Heat stole up his face when the older man glanced at him. “It was, well, I asked if you ever take your mask off, and you said there was one way to guarantee you would, then. . .” The blush intensified. “You asked if you could kiss me, and then you did,” he whispered.

Kakashi managed to keep most of his surprise hidden; this was a vision that he hadn't had, so somehow, someway, Iruka was tapping into whatever-this-was independently of him. He was also insanely curious about what had been described – especially the part about a mask – but even more he was fighting the very present and current urge to kiss Iruka for real. “Iruka,” he breathed, reaching out and cupping the other man's chin in his palm.

Iruka's eyes drifted closed for the briefest of moments. “Yes, Kakashi?”

“May I kiss you?”

Those warm, brown eyes widened in surprise. “Now?”

Kakashi smiled. “Ten minutes ago would have been better, but I'll accept now.”

Iruka was in the middle of rolling his eyes when a warm pair of lips made contact with his. There wasn't a lot of pressure, at first; it was a kiss designed to persuade, not demand. But Iruka, surprisingly, found he had very little patience for the game and pushed his hands into Kakashi's hair, slanted his head, and went after what he wanted. With gusto. The jounin's eye flew open in surprise for the briefest moment before he made a pleased sound in his throat and wrapped his arms around the other man, pulling Iruka in tightly against his chest, and parted his lips.

There was no hesitation on either of their parts after that. Iruka's hair tie disappeared so abruptly it may as well have been jutsu'd away and Kakashi sighed as he threaded his fingers through the dark strands. Iruka was working on lowering the zipper of the other man's flak vest but broke off with a pleased purr when a strong hand massaged his scalp through the loose hair. Kakashi grinned as he slid his lips down the warm column of the tokujo's neck, stopping only when he ran up against the barrier of a shirt collar.

Iruka, in contrast, wasn't letting clothes get in his way at all. Once he had the flak vest undone he pushed a hand underneath the shirt, dragging his nails lightly up Kakashi's back. The jounin's gasp was barely muffled against Iruka's throat, and it was the tokujo's turn to grin. He was still grinning when that mouth – that almost obscenely talented mouth – came back to his.

Now the kiss was heated, forceful, an intricate and enticing duel of lips and tongues. Iruka closed his teeth lightly on the other's lower lip, reveling in the way the arms around him tightened and the hands splayed across his back. Then one of those hands disappeared under his shirt, blazing a path across his chest. When long fingers dragged across a nipple he moaned, so lost in sensation that he. . .

His back collided painfully with the ground and his breath left him when Kakashi crashed on top of him, one elbow in his solar plexus. It took only a moment to disentangle himself from long arms and messy silver hair, and Iruka saw that they had both been so distracted, so absorbed in each other, that they had fallen backward off of the log they had been sitting on. He craned his neck and looked at both sets of knees and sandals, still resting on the fallen tree. With a faint, pained grunt he lowered his head back to the ground, scowling as he heard a chuckle from the man at his side.

“What's so funny?”

If anything Kakashi's laughter grew louder. “You. Me. Us.” He reached down and twined the fingers of one hand in Iruka's. “Making out like a pair of horny teenagers, completely unaware of our surroundings, falling over and on each other. . .”

Iruka huffed out a laugh. “Ninja skills,” he commented wryly.

“Quite.” They each turned to face the other at that moment and burst out laughing.

When the laughter died down they were still lying there, on their backs, feet propped on the log. Iruka let his eyes drift closed, blocking out the brilliant blue sky for a moment before sighing and sitting up. “We still have a job to do,” he said, trying to brush at the dirt on his shoulders. “We're not done with the search.”

Even as he spoke they both heard a flare being set off, and looked up to see a trail of purple streaking across the sky, signaling that all of the genin had been found. “You were saying?” Kakashi asked, one eyebrow lifted.

Looking down at where Kakashi still lay on the ground, face flushed and lips swollen from kissing Iruka felt a rush of desire. He leaned down, arms bracketing the other man's head. “Your place or mine?” he asked, moving close enough that his lips brushed the jounin's when he spoke.

“That's what I thought you were saying.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

Three hours later they were sitting at the low table in Iruka's living room, a take-out dinner spread around them. In some concession to modesty Iruka wore a yukata. It's soft, light blue color was a delicious contrast to his darker skin and hair, and Kakashi had a difficult time keeping his eyes away from the triangle of skin the neckline exposed. Having tasted every inch of that skin barely an hour before didn't make things any easier. Most of his dinner went down untasted.

Iruka was having a similarly difficult time, but not for the same reason. Well, it was partly the same reason; Kakashi in a pair of borrowed sweatpants that hung low on his hips and exposed his ankles was _very_ distracting. But mainly he was fighting off useless and unproductive feelings of guilt and self-recrimination. But not so much guilt and self-recrimination that he didn't intend to repeat the afternoon's experience.

“You're regretting this.” Kakashi's soft voice cut through the fog in Iruka's mind.

“NO!” he burst out, almost involuntarily. “Well, not exactly regret,” he went on in a calmer tone before he let out a long sigh. “I. . . It's just. . . Hell.” He pushed a hand through his hair and gave it a toss, an instinctive gesture to get it out of his face but one that Kakashi found incredibly seductive.

But now was clearly not the time. Pushing the remains of his dinner aside Kakashi folded his arms on the table and regarded his companion with a steady gaze. “Just tell me. I promise I won't be offended.”

Iruka chuckled. “It's not offensive. But. . .” Another sigh. “Kakashi, you are the central figure in an active case that I am in charge of investigating! What kind of objectivity can I have now? Inoichi-san could remove me from the case, and I wouldn't blame him one bit. Not to mention all of this. . .” He gestured vaguely toward the bedroom. “Whatever emotional entanglement comes out of this could set your overall recovery back.”

Kakashi smiled slightly when he began speaking, and by the time he was done it was an all-out grin. “Iruka.” He reached out and covered the tokujo's hands with his. “I can handle the 'emotional entanglement' just fine; a concussion doesn't mean I've mentally regressed to infancy. “And just how objective were you when all of this started?” He lifted a hand and cupped Iruka's cheek, feeling a shiver of possessive need when the younger man nuzzled against his palm. “If you were truly objective you would have left well enough alone after the initial debriefing, am I right?”

“Probably,” Iruka said with a wry grin. His eyes drifted closed as he pushed his cheek harder against Kakashi's cradling hand. “I wish I understood why,” he went on, voice dropping to a whisper. He met the jounin's gaze, gently running a finger down the scar that bisected his left eye. “I mean, I barely knew you, but as soon as I entered that hospital room I felt -”

“A connection,” Kakashi interrupted him, speaking just as softly. “An instant connection. Soul deep.”

Iruka nodded. “I wanted. . . no, scratch that. I _needed_ to help you.” Then he laughed and turned his head just enough to kiss where the pulse fluttered on the other man's wrist. “I didn't expect all of this, though. I didn't expect. . .” His voice trailed off. “Never mind; I really have no idea what the hell I'm trying to say.”

“You never expected to feel things that seemed to come from another lifetime.”

Iruka froze. In his mind he was replaying Yamato's words: _The farther back in time you try to reach the more likely it is that reality – the actual course of events – will seep through the cracks in the alternate timeline_ and _. . . that individual would be even more susceptible to his or her personal reality pushing through the cracks_. And now Kakashi was saying that everything that was happening between them felt like something from another life. Was it possible? He had been more than prepared to dismiss Yamato's speculation about magic spells and altering the past, but evidence was starting to pile up. The book of “spells” existed. Something that wasn't quite chakra was blocking parts of Kakashi's long-term memory. The legends of the Five Guardian Spirits were the basis of at least one religious movement. Those were indisputable facts.

But why? Why would someone, or a group of someones, take the risk of altering the past like that? What could possibly be the reason for it all? He was missing something, some small, probably insignificant detail, that would either tie everything together or prove once and for all that all the talk about magic and legends was nonsense. But what could it possibly be?

“Iruka.” Kakashi's voice was flat.

Iruka snapped his attention back to his current situation and the man he was with. Kakashi had a puzzled look on his face, one that Iruka tried to sooth with a smile. “Sorry, I just got a little lost on the road of life.”

Kakashi blinked twice, rapidly, and then his face blanched and he swayed where he sat. He pressed the heel of one hand to his temple and his breath came in short, pained gasps. Iruka grabbed his shoulders to steady him, but the older man pulled away and lurched to his feet, making a sudden dash for the bathroom. The sounds of retching quickly followed. He rose and moved to the kitchen, wetting and wringing out a towel and running a glass of water. He was at the bathroom door when he heard the toilet flush and a loud groan.

Iruka pushed the door open. Kakashi was sprawled in an untidy heap, back pressed against the sink's vanity and long legs taking up most of the rest of the room. Iruka knelt between his legs and held out the glass, waiting until the older man took a couple of sips before reaching out and wiping off his face with the towel. Kakashi smiled weakly in thanks.

“What happened?” he asked when Kakashi appeared recovered enough. “Should you go to the hospital?”

Kakashi shook his head. “No, it's all right, I think.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “That was unpleasant,” was his only comment.

Iruka didn't respond; he was too busy taking note of how the other man hadn't really answered him. When a healthy measure of color returned to Kakashi's face Iruka stood and reached out a hand to help him to his feet. Then he steered the jounin towards the bedroom, getting him situated on the bed and pulling the blankets up. “I'm going to get Nohara-san,” he finally said, holding up a hand when Kakashi's expression turned mutinous. “No arguments.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

“He's asleep now,” Rin said as she came into the living room. “I'm hoping he'll sleep through the night, but I can't guarantee it.” She shook her head, grinning ruefully. “The stubborn jerk never takes a sleeping pill, no matter who recommends it.”

Iruka nodded, feeling a smile tug at his own lips. He could well imagine Kakashi's stubbornness in such a situation. “So, what exactly happened?” he asked, carefully maneuvering around the low table and taking a seat on the sofa.

Rin shrugged and sat beside him. “You probably know as much as I do,” she replied. “All he told me was that he'd had another one of those pain episodes, but I'm guessing there was more to it or you wouldn't have come to me.” Her smile turned a little sly. “Or brought me here, to your home, making the nature of your relationship obvious.”

Iruka felt his cheeks heat but he didn't deny it. He also didn't try to argue or justify anything.

Rin was still smiling, but it was much gentler and caring. “Don't worry,” she said, reaching out and giving his arm a squeeze. “I'm not going to say anything to anyone. Kakashi has been one of my best friends since we were ten, and he's also my patient. That's two layers of confidentiality that I'm not about to break. So relax, Iruka-kun, and tell me what, exactly, happened tonight.”

Iruka didn't really know, but he was able to provide a few pieces of extra information. The fact that Kakashi had vomited made Rin's jaw clench, and the _I'm going to kill him!_ sounded like it was dragged over her vocal cords and out past her teeth. Clearly he had neglected to mention that occurrence, and Iruka couldn't blame the medic for getting angry. But she quickly got over it, and instead zeroed in on the one thing that should have been able to help them.

“Did you sense anything from him? Pain, dizziness, chakra fluctuation? Anything?”

Iruka thought for a moment before shaking his head. “Not really. It all happened so fast and I was worried -” He cut himself off, brow wrinkling as he gave the question more thought. “There was something. A sort of. . . I'm not sure how to describe it. Almost like the sensation from one of those hand buzzers, but it was chakra, not something physical.”

Rin studied him for a long moment, looking thoughtful. “Is this something you've felt before? From Kakashi, I mean.”

He started to shake his head. “Nooo, not really. But -” He thought back over all the times they had been in each other's company since the jounin had been released from the hospital. “There were a couple of instances when there's been something similar, but on those occasions it was just touching my senses. This time it was more like being in direct contact with my skin.” He sucked in a breath and his eyes were wide as he met Rin's. “And each time I've felt it was when he had one of those visions.”

“So what's changed?” Rin asked. “Why would that sensation suddenly be so much stronger?”

Iruka knew the answer to that, but he was somewhat reluctant to say anything. The last thing he needed was for it to become known that he had not only shared one of Kakashi's visions but had endured one all on his own. Not only would that get him removed from the current investigation but it might just land him as a subject of inquiry right alongside the other man.

But he trusted Rin, trusted that the confidentiality she pledged to protect Kakashi would, in this situation, extend to cover him. When he was done describing the things he had seen she simply stared at him, eyes wide. “But what's causing _that_?”

He remembered his conversation with Hyuga Hiashi from a few days prior. “I think the dyke is starting to develop cracks.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

Kakashi twitched in his sleep, but it wasn't enough to wake either him or the man who slept soundly at his side.

_A pale-haired man, surrounded by a pool of blood. “Kakashi, come away.” Minato-sensei._

_Obito's voice. “I think the White Fang was a true hero.” Rocks falling. A cave-in. “It's his dying wish; we have to!” Rin was choking back tears._

_A tattoo needle buzzing; he didn't flinch despite the pain in his upper arm. “How old are you, kid?” the man wielding the needle asked. He didn't bother to answer._

_Wavering light from torches set in a wall. A mad with a deep voice and a scar on his chin. Menacing. Threatening. A younger boy standing pressed against the Sandaime's side. “I sent Kakashi here, so if there's some sort of problem you'll have to take it up with me.”_

_The sun was bright through the windows of the Hokage's office, making it difficult to see the man seated behind the desk. “I want you to be Kushina's guard through this, Kakashi. There's no one I trust more.”_

_Screams. Shouting. Flames. The deafening roar of a creature who's size was beyond comprehension. “You have to stay out of this fight! Live long enough to pass the Will of Fire on to your own children!” Yuuhi Shinku's voice was hoarse from shouting. Then a barrier came up around them, and they were caught._

_When silence finally fell it was so abrupt it left all of them stunned. The barrier dropped and he staggered, breaking into a run. Even over the crackling of the flames he could hear the distressed wailing of an infant._

_The sun was beating down out of a brilliant, cloudless sky, but he couldn't see any of it. His eyes were trained on the photograph resting against the Will of Fire memorial and there was no room for anything else. Not even the man who's presence was solid at his back. “No one can ever know, Kakashi. There are many truths we must keep hidden, but that one above all others.”_

“ _My future dream is to surpass the Hokage. And so I'm going to get the entire village to acknowledge my existence!”_

Kakashi jerked upright in bed, his own shout of surprise still echoing in the room. There was so much emotion boiling inside of him that he felt like he would choke on it. As it was he couldn't stop the broken sobs that escaped his throat.

A pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders, warm, comforting, and oh so familiar. Gentle hands stroked over his hair. “Shh, Kakashi. It was just a dream.”

He was pulled down again, head pillowed on Iruka's chest, drawing solace from the steady heartbeat beneath his ear. But tears still streamed down his face, because he knew it wasn't just a dream.

It was reality.


	8. Chapter 8

When Iruka woke the next morning Kakashi was gone. He wasn't really surprised at that; his misgivings of the day before about the investigation and their relative positions in it were still an undercurrent in his mind so he could appreciate the discretion the jounin had shown. A part of him was disappointed, though. He would have enjoyed waking up to the warmth of a lover in his bed, would have enjoyed a shared breakfast. It was better this way, he knew, but it still left a bit of a lump in his throat.

The note with the heno-heno-moheji scrawled on it that was tucked half under the tea kettle made him feel a little better.

As he sat drinking his favorite morning tea blend he thought about some of the previous day's events. Telling Kakashi about his own visions had been a risk, but he was glad he had done it. It made him feel that they were more like partners, not just subject and investigator. Working together meant more of a chance to figure out what was going on, and to fix it.

The knock on his door startled him and he spilled a bit of tea, wincing as the hot liquid dripped on his foot. He cleaned it up quickly and made his way to the door, opening it just as the person on the other side raised a hand to knock again.

“What took you so long?” Kushina asked, looking a little disgruntled.

Iruka smiled. “I don't often get visitors, and certainly not so early in the morning. Your knock startled me and I spilled some tea, that's all.” He gestured for her to enter the apartment and waited while she removed her sandals and moved into the living room. “What's up?” he finally asked.

Kushina grunted and sank down to sit at the kotatsu. “You won't believe it. I'm not certain I do and I was there when it happened!” She took a deep breath. “Kakashi came to see the Hokage first thing this morning and asked that the investigation into what's wrong with him be ended.”

Iruka felt his jaw drop and for a long moment he was speechless. Kushina laughed without a trace of humor. “Yeah, I know,” she said. “That was pretty much my reaction.”

“But why?”

She shrugged. “He said that something happened last night that made him fairly certain there would be no more problems, but he wasn't very specific.” She studied Iruka for what felt like an hour, and he had to force himself not to flinch when her chakra pushed against his as she worked at sensing him. Then her eyes narrowed. “What the hell, Iruka?!” she all but shouted, and he knew he was well and truly busted.

“I. . . I don't. . . It wasn't. . .” His voice trailed off; there really wasn't any way to justify what had happened. What he had done.

“Are you going to tell me that you two _didn't_ have sex yesterday?” she asked, tone more disgusted than angry. “I wouldn't expect such a blatant lie from you, of all people.” Her hair was mostly loose that day, pulled back in a simple ponytail, and she lightly scratched her head at the tail's base. “All right, let's not get into that right now. Just tell me what else happened last night. That might give us a clue about this sudden turn-around of Kakashi's.”

When he was finished telling her everything that he could remember she looked thoughtful for a long moment before speaking again. “What do you think set him off when he got sick?” she asked.

“I don't know,” Iruka replied, feeling despair touch his heart. “I had gotten a little lost in my thoughts, remembering some things that Hiashi-sama had said to me the other day, and -”

“What did you say to him right before?” Kushina asked, watching him carefully.

“I kind of laughed, looking to cover up the fact that I had been ignoring him for heaven only knows how long. And then I made a joke about getting lost on the road of life. . .” He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. “I couldn't tell him the truth, you see. Not about what Hiashi-sama and I had discussed.”

“Why haven't you told me?” Kushina asked, eyebrows raised. “I assume it was somehow pertinent to the case, and as such I should have been told. I know I'm not a T & I investigator, but the Hokage assigned me to help you. But more than that I _want_ to help. I care about the idiot too, you know.” Then she gave her head a sharp shake. “But we'll settle that issue later. For now what is it that set him off, do you think?”

“ _It's truly amazing, the things one sees when lost on the road of life.”_

“ _Looks like neither of us is going to get much rest, sensei.”_

_A warm weight settled in his palm, wriggling slightly before a gruff voice said “Hello, youngster.”_

“Kushina?” When she made a noise of acknowledgment he continued. “Do you know Kakashi's ninken?” She looked surprised at the question but nodded and Iruka continued. “Is one of them a pug with a deep voice? A gruff voice totally at odds with his size?

She looked surprised and a little confused at the question. “Yes. That's Pakkun; he was the first member of the pack that Kakashi learned to summon. Why?”

“Because we may have more than one problem, and I think it's getting worse.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

Kakashi went back to his apartment after his meeting with the Hokage and Kushina that morning, all but locking himself in and hiding from the world outside. He didn't want to face anybody, least of all Iruka. His dream from the night before had shifted something fundamental inside of him, and he knew there would be no going back. There were still gaps in his memory – vast expanses of empty space – but he knew enough.

This world, this Konoha, these people. . . None of it was as it should be.

A part of him railed against that idea, especially when he thought about Rin, Minato, and Kushina. If something happened to bring what he now knew was the real world back he'd have to lose all of them again, and he wasn't sure he could handle that. And there were other things as well, hazy at the back of his mind; a massacre within the walls of Konoha, one survivor an eight year old boy and the perpetrator of that horror his older brother. He could remember being one of the ANBU involved in the clean up afterwards, but for the life of him he couldn't remember the name of the clan that had suffered.

There were other unpleasant things there as well. He could remember his father's last days with a vivid, almost frightening clarity. And the whispers that had followed him even after Sakumo's suicide. Minato-sensei had been one of the few people to stand by him during all of that, helping him deal with the intense emotions his child self had barely understood.

There was the cave-in that had caused Obito's death, and vague memories of the Sandaime's. In his mind's eye he could see the scene at the old man's funeral, the rain that fell and Konohamaru being comforted in the arms of his much-loved teacher.

Iruka. Beautiful, clever, kind, compassionate Iruka. He smiled to himself as random memories of the other man flooded his mind. Their argument over the chuunin exams. Their first kiss. The short-lived experiment when Iruka had cut his hair. Moving in to their first apartment together. Iruka's blushing face as he confessed their relationship to Naruto. . .

_Naruto!_

Kakashi jerked out of his languid musings and sat up straight on the sofa. How? How could he have forgotten Konoha's loudest, most exuberant, number one knucklehead? And he remembered one of the first visions he had had when he woke up in this reality, the vision of Iruka in the standard shinobi uniform with a blond haired boy. So he hadn't forgotten him completely, and that was a relief. He leaned back against the sofa cushions with a sigh.

But in a reality where Minato and Kushina had never fallen in love – had never married – there was no Naruto. And for that, if for no other reason, he needed to fix this.

****~**~**~**~**~****

As soon as Kushina left Iruka collapsed on his sofa, needing a few moments to think. He had told her everything about his own visions, but rather than thinking it was a problem Kushina had more-or-less shrugged it off.

“Your emotions are getting progressively more tangled in all of this,” she had said with a shake of her head. “So it's not a surprise that you'd be picking up on things from Kakashi more intensely. I think you're just somehow more directly tapped into what he feels, and it's showing itself in the form of visions. It's not that big of a deal.”

Iruka had feigned agreement in order to get her to leave. He had also promised that he would apprise Inoichi of Kakashi's request to have the investigation ended. And he would do exactly that, if not quite as soon as she expected. There was someone else that he needed to talk to first.

Two years ago Iruka's father had retired as an active shinobi shortly after his wife had been killed on a mission. He now lived in a small house just outside the village's east gate, where he spent his days tending the garden and working on a book of sensory jutsu.

Umino Ikkaku was a stern, almost severe, looking man. The slight droop in his mustache seemed to pull his face downward in a perpetual frown. And his son wasn't going to deny that since his wife's death Ikkaku had been quieter and more morose. But Iruka knew his father better than anyone; knew the caring heart and the sly sense of humor that the older man kept tucked away. And he knew that if any person could give him straightforward (nearly to the point of pain) advice about his current situation it was his father.

“You made a mistake,” were the first word's out of Ikkaku's mouth, even before his son said a word.

Iruka huffed out a laugh. “Now I know what people mean whenever they say _Damn sensors!_ ,” he replied before taking a seat on the grass covered exedra beside his father. “It really is annoying when it's directed at you.”

“You're not the first person to tell me that.” Ikkaku opened his eyes and glanced sidelong at his son. “But I am curious about what else you have to tell me.”

And Iruka told him everything. How he had been assigned to keep an eye on the concussed Kakashi. The visions and verbal stumbles, with their accompanying pain. His request of Inoichi, that it be made an official case and he be placed in charge of it. All the steps and clues of his investigation. The surprising start of his own visions. And finally, with a deep red blush staining his cheeks about the change in their relationship and Kushina's surprising news that Kakashi had asked for the investigation to be stopped.

Ikkaku listened without interrupting. He seemed so calm over the course of the tale that for a moment Iruka thought he had fallen asleep. He fidgeted slightly on the seat, but didn't say anything. He knew it would be useless to prompt his father; the man would respond when he was ready to, and not one minute sooner.

“It's not a very pretty tale, is it,” Ikkaku finally spoke, startling his son.

“I didn't. . . It was. . . It was stupid,” Iruka finally concluded, hating that he had to admit to the monumental screw-up that sleeping with Kakashi was.

Ikkaku looked startled, then started to laugh. “I don't mean that,” he said, his grin transforming his face. “I mean the story of the Five Guardian Spirits and Kaguya's betrayal of them.” He grew silent again but it was a musing sort of silence, not tense or, worse, condemnatory. “Tell me why you think this 'magic' theory is the most likely explanation.”

Iruka sighed. “I don't know if I can really explain it,” he said, pushing up his hitai-ate to scratch his forehead. “It's more like an instinct; an instinct that tells me nothing else feels quite right.” He laughed low in his throat. “Most of the other ideas – genjutsu, mind control jutsu, getting into his head through the Sharingan – they all require one of the others, working in tandem, to produce anything like the situation we're dealing with. This. . .” He sighed and closed his eyes. “I really hate the word 'spell' but it's all we have. This spell is the only possibility that could have done this completely independent of anything else. But I keep coming back to why someone would do this thing. What was so important to them that they had to channel the chakra of a powerful shinobi like Kakashi to accomplish this? And what small moment or incident in the past was changed to create all of this? This world.” He gestured around the garden and to the house. “This world that shouldn't exist,” he added on quietly.

“Does that bother you?”

Iruka looked surprised at the question, then thoughtful for a long moment. “Honestly, no.” He grinned. “Well, maybe a little. But my life has been a good one, a happy one, and I can't regret that. It'd be a waste of time, time that would be better spent trying to unravel what happened and then fixing it.” He looked down at his hands and slowly closed them into fists. “Even if it means I disappear I want to fix this.

“And Kakashi?” Ikkaku's softly voiced question pulled his son's head up like it was on a string. “If what you told me about last night is true then unraveling this is likely to be extremely painful for him. Physically and emotionally. Can you still do it?”

Iruka blinked rapidly and had to cough to clear the clog of unshed tears from his throat. “He's already in pain,” he replied, glancing away from his father's steady gaze. “Will this make things worse for him? Maybe, but I think even he would say it's worth the risk.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

Iruka went straight home after leaving his father. He knew he was deliberately avoiding the T & I building and the necessity of speaking to his commanding officer. Kushina had accepted his word that he _would_ do so, but that wouldn't last. He figured he had a day, at the most, to get at the heart of the issue. And he needed to do that of he was going to convince Kakashi, and by extension the Hokage, that they could fix this.

So with a very specific goal in mind he activated every seal and trap that protected his home, right down to the special jutsu that turned all of the windows into two-way mirrors. Once the place was secure he made a pot of tea and settled down at the kotatsu with the scroll that Uchiha Fugaku had given him, determined to ferret out every last deal of the legend of the Five Guardian Spirits.

It wasn't easy, though. If the handwriting was anything to go by the scroll had had at least five authors, and some of the writing was faded almost to the point of being illegible. It was only when a headache started to throb behind his eyes that Iruka realized how much time had passed since he sat down. He finished the last cup of lukewarm tea (grimacing at the bitterness when it hit his tongue) and stood up to stretch and shake the pins and needles out of his legs.

But he was clumsy with both legs numb, and he stumbled against the kotatsu and knocked the scroll to the floor. When he bent down to collect it he saw some writing on the outside of it that he hadn't noticed before; it was only visible with the scroll unrolled to a certain point. The ink was different to that on the rest, and the handwriting didn't look like anything else either. He went into the bedroom to get another lamp, hoping the extra light would make things clearer.

Ten minutes later he was out the door and on his way to Kakashi's, scroll tucked securely in one of his pockets.

Kakashi took so long to answer his knock that Iruka thought about breaking down the door. He had leaned close to the panel, alert for any sound from within, so when the door was finally tugged open he reeled back in surprise, eyes jumping up to meet the jounin's.

Kakashi looked better than he had the night before, but only marginally so. His complexion was pale, even by his normal standard, and his visible eye looked tired and bloodshot. Iruka felt a surge of sympathy, but refused to allow it free rein.

“We need to talk,” he said without preamble, moving to push past Kakashi and enter the apartment.

Kakashi let him by, leaning back against the door once it was closed. “There's not anything to talk about,” he replied, tone dull and flat. “This investigation is over.”

Iruka pulled the scroll out of his pocket and tossed it to the older man. “Like hell it is,” was all he said, waiting patiently as Kakashi opened the scroll and read the beginning.

“This. . . What. . .” He pushed away from the door and finally came closer. “Iruka, what are you thinking.”

“I haven't told you any of this because it all seemed a little too ridiculous,” Iruka said, ducking his head and rubbing the scar across his nose. He reached out and took the scroll from the jounin, unrolling it far enough and then flipping it so Kakashi could see the unusual writing. It was a strange combination of the arcane Uchiha script and traditional kanji. Iruka had only been able to read a few words, but that had been enough for him to get the gist. As he watched Kakashi pushed up his hitai-ate and opened the Sharingan.

“Someone, or a group of someones, that believe in all of these legends used your chakra to amplify their magic and cast a spell to alter one event in the past to make the present entirely different,” Iruka explained, trying to convey as much as he could in the fewest possible words. “Some tiny, almost insignificant event, but the effect has been enormous. And all those visions you've been having, and the strange verbal stumbles, and the true course of events playing out in your head. You, and you alone, have memories of that reality because you were the epicenter of the spell. It's -”

“I know.” Kakashi's soft voice broke through the flow of Iruka's words and the tokujo could only gape. “I know that this isn't a true reality,” he went on. “I realized it last night. I told you it was just a dream, but it was more than that. Memories. . .” he shoved a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “Strong memories, from some of the most traumatic events in my life. They. . .”

“Broke the dyke,” Iruka said. When Kakashi looked questioningly at him he smiled slightly. “It was something Hiashi-sama said when I spoke to him about all of this. Do you remember him telling us about the strange blocks he could see on your memory?” Kakashi nodded. “Well, he called them the dyke that was holding back reality.”

Kakashi took a long minute to absorb all of that. “But why?” he asked after a time. “Why would anyone want to do something like this?”

Iruka held up the scroll. “Because of this prophecy,” he said. “ _A child of all mankind, uniting the spirits in one soul to restore the balance of the world._ ” He released one end of the scroll and it rolled back up with a snap. “People, factions, nations, whatever, that thrive on the anarchy of the shinobi world would want to prevent that at any cost, don't you think?”

And when explained like that it all seemed so simple it nearly stole Kakashi's breath. It made the lives that they led that much worse, in a way, until he reminded himself that this wasn't his life, nor was it really Iruka's. “Sensei,” he began, smiling a little at the pleased light in Iruka's eyes at being called that. “Knowing all of this doesn't really help with the bigger problem, though? How are we supposed to fix this?”

Iruka stepped closer and cradled the jounin's face between his hands. “I'm not sure, except I know it won't be easy,” he whispered. “Especially for you. But it needs to be done.”

And you aren't worried?” Kakashi asked, leaning in to press their foreheads together. “I mean I know a little bit about what's waiting for me on the other side of this, but you'd be blind.”

Iruka shook his head and their noses rubbed. “The only thing that worries me is that my other life might not have you in it,” he said, so quietly that Kakashi almost missed the words.

Kakashi wanted to tell the other man the truth about that, but he held his tongue. That wasn't really important in the grand scheme of things, after all. But if he couldn't reassure him one way he could in another.

“That's just not possible, Iruka,” he said, moving close enough that their lips brushed when he spoke. “Whatever the world, whatever the reality, we belong together and will always find each other.”


	9. Chapter 9

Namikaze Minato, Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, couldn't remember the last time he had been stunned into such absolute silence. His only consolation was that pretty much everyone else in the room was in the same state. But then Kushina hissed out something that sounded vaguely like a curse and the next thing everyone was speaking, all at the same time.

The whistle that split the air was excruciating, to say the least. It was also one of Inoichi's more annoying hidden talents. Genma, who was standing beside the T & I commander, stuck a pinky in one ear and opened his mouth wide, trying to restore normal hearing. “Warn someone when you're gonna let fly with that would you, Yamanaka?”

Iruka dropped his gaze to the floor, hoping to cover up his smile. He knew from experience that if Genma and Inoichi were allowed to get started the bickering could go on for literally days. Under normal circumstances he'd be entertained by it, but there were more pressing matters at hand. When he looked up again he caught the Hokage's eye, pleased to see that the other man was also fighting his mirth. He winked quickly at Iruka and loudly cleared his throat.

“Don't start you two. We have more important things to talk about.” He picked up a folder from the desk and flipped through a few pages of what was, essentially, Iruka's report on the results of his investigation. The tokujo had prepared it the evening before, with Kakashi consulting on everything. Minato would read it thoroughly as soon as this meeting ended, but he wanted to have certain facts right at his fingertips. He looked up when he was done skimming the report, taking careful note of how closely Kakashi and Iruka were standing.

“You two genuinely believe all of this?” he asked the pair, resting a hand on the folder. “It seems a little too fantastic to be true, but I'll accept your word.”

Iruka cleared his throat. “I know it all sounds crazy, but it explains everything. And I believe that Hiashi-sama and Fugaku-san will back up this conclusion, if you choose to ask them about it.”

“Oh, I will, believe me,” Minato replied. He glanced at Kushina. “Well?”

She cocked her head to one side as she studied Iruka and Kakashi intently enough to make the pair of them fidget. “There's no untruth in anything they've said,” she finally said.

“I could have told her that,” Kakashi muttered, so low that only Iruka heard him. He got a sharp elbow to the ribs in response. The look he shot Iruka was pained and slightly reproachful, but also somehow flirtatious. Iruka grinned.

“Boys.”

Both of them started and returned their attention to the Hokage, who was smiling gently. Kushina was grinning like a maniac, and when Iruka met her gaze she waggled her eyebrows and leered. He scowled back, and she started to laugh, which earned her a stern look from Minato. The Hokage cleared his throat. “Now that we have some sort of handle on what happened I have only one question.” He stared at Kakashi, waiting for the younger man to meet his gaze. “Do you want to fix this?” he asked.

Kakashi dropped his eyes to the floor as he thought. A part of him screamed that things could stay as they were, with Minato-sensei, Kushina and Rin still alive, even if it meant an increasingly unstable world. In all honesty that idea didn't bother him much; he had never been that interested in politics and he wasn't about to start caring now. And he had Iruka in this life as well.

But Iruka wasn't quite the same, and he knew what that tiny difference was. It was the lack of Naruto. And in his heart of hearts he knew he wanted _that_ Iruka; the clever, sarcastic, acid-tongued teacher that he had fallen in love with. The wonderfully loving and kind man that had accepted Naruto before anyone else in the village. The sexy and oh-so determined chuunin who was willing to fight anyone that crossed his path for the sake of the boy he thought of as a little brother. That was who Iruka was supposed to be, and who Kakashi wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

He felt Iruka's hand on his elbow in the briefest of touches. Then he looked up at Minato and nodded. “It needs to be fixed,” he said, voice rough with emotion. “There are things about this reality that make me wish -” He cut his words off with a sharp shake of the head. “Never mind what I wish; I'm not going to be selfish.”

“Right, okay,” Minato responded. He pressed both palms down on the surface of the desk. “We need a mission plan.” He glanced at Iruka. “I assume you have, at the very least, come up with a place to start?”

Iruka glanced at Kakashi, who gave him a quick nod. “The most important thing is to establish what Hatake-san was doing, and where he was, at the moment everything was changed,” he began. “We know what his mission was here; the reports are perfectly clear on that.”

Minato held up a hand. “I get it,” he said, then glanced at Inoichi. “Can you do it? Access a completely different set of memories?”

“With a bit of help I believe I can,” Inoichi replied. “Hiashi-sama was the one who first identified the walls around Kakashi's long-term memory; with him focusing my efforts I see no reason why we couldn't succeed.”

Kakashi grimaced. An intense, focused, Yamanaka mind-probe sounded like something he'd much rather avoid. But the necessity was undeniable; he had confessed to Iruka that there were still a lot of gaps in his memory, one of the biggest being the last thing he could remember before waking up in this reality. Whenever he tried to call anything up all he got was a vague impression of pain and being stuck inside a whirlwind. Not very much to go on.

“- and I assume you already have a team in mind for this?” Minato's question pulled Kakashi back to where he was.

“I do, but I'd prefer to wait on the results of the mind probe before committing to anything,” Iruka replied, his face drawn and serious. “This is too important to be taking half-measures.”

“Agreed.” The Hokage shuffled through some papers on his desk before finding what he wanted. He quickly scrawled his signature at the bottom and handed it to Inoichi. “This is the order for the mind probe. A copy will be sent to Hiashi-sama; make sure you coordinate with him.” He glanced around at the shinobi gathered in his office. “I'm sure you all already know this but it bears repeating: not one word of this matter is to be spoken to anyone outside of this group. If all our speculation is correct this matter is too serious to take such stupid risks.” When everyone acknowledged that order he sat back in his chair and smiled tightly. “Dismissed.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

Iruka had trouble concentrating on other parts of his job for the rest of the day. He knew that Inoichi would expect him to be back on duty overseeing the interrogation of Kumo prisoners but his heart wasn't in that. It never was, to be honest, but right now it was that much worse. He couldn't get his mind off of Kakashi and the situation they found themselves in. And he couldn't keep himself from wondering what that other life was like.

He had asked, but Kakashi had steadfastly refused to tell him anything beyond that cryptic comment about how they could always find each other. That all seemed a little too soulmate-ish, and the idea grated on a small part of Iruka's practical nature. But the larger part of him wanted to shout it from the rooftops. He never before would have believed he could fall in love so fast, but he really didn't mind being proved wrong.

All the paperwork that had piled up while he was concentrating on Kakashi's case made a noticeable mess on his desk and with a sigh he dove into it, determined to get it cleared up so nothing would be left hanging. He had a feeling that whatever mission they undertook to straighten out reality was likely to be a long one.

He hadn't been working for very long when he felt a disturbance in the atmosphere outside his door, a rush of chakra that tingled against his senses. Whoever was out there was known to him, but not so familiar he could readily identify him. When the knock came on the door it was quiet, and that more than anything told him who the visitor was, even before the door opened and Rin poked her head around the edge.

“Are you busy?” she asked.

Iruka looked at the files scattered across his desk. “Technically, yes, but the way I feel right now I will pay you to distract me.” He grinned. “Not a lot, but I'll scrape together something.”

Rin laughed and slipped inside and into the room's only other chair. She looked tense; the corners of her mouth were pinched tight and the skin beneath her eyes was almost white. She also felt tense; her chakra was pulled in close and every emotion was being forcibly kept in check. Except for one.

“I can't talk about it, Rin,” he said, voice soft but firm. “I know you're worried, but for now I'm under the Hokage's gag order.” The look she gave him was so calculating that he continued speaking in a rush. “And so is Kakashi, for the record. All I can tell you is he's fine, and will be for the foreseeable future.”

She looked a little annoyed at that, but not surprised. “I expected as much,” she replied, mouth twisted. “I had a feeling that whatever was going on would be above my security clearance.” She blew out a forceful breath, fluttering the hair near her face. “Just promise me one thing.” When Iruka raised an eyebrow she went on. “If there's a mission to either fix the problem or track down the people that did this to Kakashi will you ask for me as the medic?”

“What makes you think I'll be the one choosing the team?”

“Please,” Rin snorted. “You've been the driving force behind this from the beginning. There's no way Minato-sensei would push you aside now. So, will you ask for me?”

Iruka smiled. “I already intended to.” It was only after the words left his mouth that he realized how neatly she had manipulated him into revealing something. “Okay, okay,” he barked out in response to the sly grin that crossed her face. “You got me on that one, but that's all you'll get. Yes, I expect there to be a mission, but it may be a few days before details are finalized.” She stood up to leave, satisfied with that, when he remembered one other thing. “And don't try to get anything out of Genma, either.”

Rin stopped dead, jaw dropping in surprise. “Gen? Why was he a part of that meeting? Or will telling me that violate the Hokage's orders?”

“Probably.”

“Never mind, I can guess. Genjutsu experts are often useful in cases like this, aren't they?”

“You didn't hear it from me,” was all Iruka said as he turned his attention back to the piles of paperwork.”

“I didn't hear a thing,” Rin replied, a smile tugging at one corner of her lips. “Thank you, Iruka,” she all but whispered before leaving his office.

Iruka resisted the urge to bang his head on the top of his desk, but just barely.

****~**~**~**~**~****

When the message to report to T & I for the mind probe finally came through Kakashi was more than ready. He had spent the past two days in a state of constant unrest, unable to settle either his mind or his body. Bits and pieces of his memory kept returning to him, usually in moments when he was feeling particularly tired and unguarded, but there was still nothing about the time immediately before he woke up in this reality.

The walls around his memory were strong, but that hadn't stopped him from trying to force them apart himself. Using a mirror to try and cast a Sharingan genjutsu on himself had not been one of his better ideas, he would admit to that. But he was frustrated and willing to try almost anything rather than continuing to exist in this limbo, waiting for other people to take control and fix the mess that his life had become.

The knock on the door came at just the right time, as he was seriously considering another attempt to genjutsu himself. And he knew that knock as well as he knew his own name. Knew there was only one person on the other side of that door, and that brought a smile to his face.

“I didn't think I'd be seeing you,” he said as he pulled the door open.

Iruka smiled hesitantly and held up a small scroll. “The final order just came through, and I thought you might appreciate a personal delivery.”

Kakashi made no move to take the scroll. “When?”

“Tomorrow. Early.” Iruka took one of the jounin's hands and shoved the scroll into it, watching as Kakashi slowly opened and read it. The older man blinked twice before looking up again to meet Iruka's gaze. Then he stepped back and gestured for the tokujo to enter the apartment.

Once the door was closed Kakashi grabbed hold of the other man and pulled him close, arms tight around him. Iruka returned the embrace, almost absently rubbing the back of Kakashi's head. Kakashi had his face pressed tight against the younger man's neck, so when he finally spoke it was too muffled to be heard.

“What was that?” Iruka whispered.

Kakashi lifted his head a bare inch. “You're not named in the order,” he replied.

“Oh. Yeah.” Iruka released the jounin and took a step back, lifting a hand to his face and rubbing his scar. “The Yondaime thought that my presence might be too distracting, given our. . . ummm, emotional entanglement.”

“How does he even know?”

“Kushina knows.”

“Ah.” Kakashi sounded completely non-committal with that response, but Iruka could see the emotion in his eye. It wasn't quite panic, but damned close. “And if I want you there with me?”

Iruka shook his head. “I'll not disobey a direct order from the Hokage. You know better than to ask.”

Kakashi pulled away then and Iruka immediately felt the loss. He wanted to take back the words; they had been a bit harsher than intended. But he was smart enough to know that nothing can ever be unsaid, so he settled for gently squeezing the other man's elbow in apology. The soft smile he got in return was all the reassurance he needed.

“Do you want something to drink?” Kakashi asked, moving toward the kitchen. “I've got some of that tea that you like.”

The tokujo let out a sigh. “Tea sounds _wonderful_ ,” he said as he kicked off his sandals. “This entire day has been one frustration after another.”

“Huh, I found it rather boring.”

Iruka laughed as he entered the kitchen. “That's because you didn't have a flood of paperwork on your desk that's been piling up since someone – who shall remain nameless” That last was said with a nod in Kakashi's direction. “- has been taking up all of your time, both professionally and personally.”

That earned a grin from the older man as he poured the water into the teapot. A heavenly scent rose with the steam, and Iruka relaxed, dropping into one of the kitchen chairs without a thought. Kakashi came to the table with the honey, setting the bottle down before taking his own seat.

So,” he began, watching Iruka out of the corner of his eye. “Besides that flood of paperwork what else have you been up to the last couple of days?”

He took a sip of tea. “Not much else; it's a really _big_ pile of paper.” He grinned. “I've had to have some sessions with war prisoners before I could sign off on the reports, and that's never an enjoyable experience.” He looked at his teacup just to get his eyes away from Kakashi's. “And I had a talk with Rin the day we met with Minato-sama.”

“Mmmm,” Kakashi hummed around the lip of his teacup. “Don't tell me, let me guess. She scents something on the wind and asked that she be a part of it.”

“She's worried about you, 'kashi.” Iruka set his cup down with a soft _clink_. “And I felt like a total heel because I couldn't tell her the truth about any of it. But I did promise that she'd be the medic if we had to go out on a mission related to all of this.” Kakashi started and stared, eyes wide. Iruka just shrugged. “She was already at the top of that list, so it wasn't a hard promise to make.”

Kakashi didn't respond, and when Iruka looked up he saw that the other man had gone still, teacup halfway between his mouth and the table and a thousand-yard-stare expression on his face. “Hey,” he whispered, jogging the jounin's elbow that was resting on the table. “Come back to me.”

With a shake of his head Kakashi pulled his attention back, carefully setting the cup down. “Sorry,” he replied with a smile that didn't quite come up to scratch. “I was. . .”

“It wasn't a vision, was it?”

“No.” He laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “I don't know what it was, just one of those moments, I guess.” He reached across the table and took Iruka's hand. “Maybe I'm just worried about tomorrow. About what I might learn if the mind probe is successful. There are still so many blank spots in my memory besides what happened immediately before I woke up here. Some of it I'm not sure I want to know.”

“But surely knowing is better than not?” Iruka asked, eyes wide.

Kakashi thought back to his vision/memory of his father's death; of the blood-stained tanto and the shock in Minato-sensei's face. _Come away, Kakashi._ There was nothing of his mother anywhere in his memory, although he suspected that had been the case even before his brain was swiss-cheesed. It was getting harder to tell what was knowledge and what was wishful thinking. “I'm not sure,” he sighed out, squeezing Iruka's hand as it rested in his. “Some things might be more painful that way.”

“More painful than the mind probe itself?” The question held a hint of mischief in it, and when Kakashi looked up to meet the tokujo's eyes he saw the laughter there.

He snorted. “Not bloody likely. I think the only people that enjoy full Yamanaka mind probes are _other_ Yamanakas. And even some of them I doubt.”

“Well," Iruka began, standing and shrugging out of his T & I coat. “I can share with you one of my favorite relaxation techniques.” He stepped around the table and slid easily into Kakashi's lap. With one hand he toyed with the hem of the jounin's shirt and with the other pulled the tie out of his hair, letting it fall loose to his shoulders.

Kakashi wrapped his arms around the other man, pushing his hands into that lush fall of hair. He buried his face in Iruka's neck and breathed deeply of the scent he found there. “Relaxation, huh?” he queried when he pulled back enough so their eyes met.

Iruka smiled. “Or whatever,” he replied. He leaned in close, close enough so that his breath stirred the hair that flopped into Kakashi's face. “I guarantee it'll make you feel better.”

“Mmmm.” He rubbed their noses together. “I think I may have to take you up on that offer, sensei,” he said before bringing their lips together.

That press of lips, and the feeling of Iruka's splayed hands against his back, instantly eased Kakashi's mind. He stopped thinking and focused on the sensations; Iruka's warmth, the slide of a hand to his neck to tangle fingers in the short hair at his nape, the vibrations through his chest as Iruka moaned softly, the press of his ass on the growing hardness between Kakashi's legs. It was all so right, so familiar, but. . .

With a start Kakashi pulled away. Their breathing sounded unnaturally loud in the stillness.

“Kakashi?”

He gave his head a shake. “I just thought of something,” he blurted out, standing up and all but dumping Iruka off of his lap. “I can't believe I didn't think of it before! I am a complete idiot.” He flashed through some seals and pulled a kunai, quickly nicking his thumb. “Kuchiyose no jutsu!”

There was a _clap_ of displaced air and a puff of white smoke, and then the pug that Iruka had seen in one of his visions was sitting on the table. The ninken looked from one of them to the other, the expression on his face going from bored, to curious, to dumbfounded. “Boss,” he said, sounding almost wary. “What's up with not having a mask?” Then he turned his head and studied Iruka for a long moment. “And why is Iruka-sensei dressed like that?”


	10. Chapter 10

“Okay, wait a minute. Slow down and tell me, calmly, what is going on.”

Iruka was grateful for the pause as it allowed him to catch his breath. Normally a short run like the one from Kakashi's apartment to the Hokage tower would not leave him so winded, but his body was buzzing with a mixture of excitement and fear. It tightened his stomach and burned in his lungs to such a degree that he was finding it difficult to function normally.

The Hokage had noticed the moment the tokujo had burst into his office, two ANBU immediately behind him, hands on sword hilts (just in case). But Minato saw what the elite guards had apparently missed, and with no hesitation he moved around the desk, forced Iruka into a chair, and sent one of the ANBU for some water.

Iruka didn't wait for the water, though, before he started to spill his news in the most incoherent fashion imaginable. He was barely aware of the hash he was making of things until Minato shook him by the shoulders so hard his head bobbed. That got his attention even before the Hokage spoke, and he shut his eyes and took a deep breath. When the ANBU came back and poured a glass of water he drank it all down without a pause, feeling better as soon as the liquid hit his throat.

“Okay, that's better,” Minato said with a smile. “Now, slowly, and with a little more coherence, tell me what happened.”

So Iruka did, leaving out the parts about flirting and kissing. He knew that Kushina had told the Hokage about the relationship growing between Kakashi and the young tokujo, but that didn't mean he had to discuss the details. When he got to the part about Pakkun's reaction to seeing the pair of them Minato's eyes had widened as the implications sank in. Iruka would have continued but the Hokage held up a hand to stop the flow of words, stepping back and leaning against the edge of his desk, head bowed in thought. When he finally looked up the spark in his blue eyes was undeniable.

“Get Kushina and have her meet us on the roof,” he ordered the ANBU before grabbing Iruka's arm and hauling him out of the chair, a hand on his shoulder propelling the younger man out the office door. Iruka went where he was pushed, although he wasn't exactly sure what was going on. That condition had become disturbingly familiar to him since he had chosen to involved himself in Kakashi's difficulties.

From the roof of the tower they could see all the way across Konoha, the main gates a dark smudge in the gathering twilight. Minato paced as they waited, but was apparently unwilling to do whatever had brought them up there without another witness. Finally, when Iruka felt that his curiosity was about to swallow him whole, they heard footsteps on the outside staircase and Kushina burst into view, hair down and flowing free, sans hitai-ate and flak vest.

“What?!” she barked out as soon as she laid eyes on Minato. “I was just about to enjoy my first real meal in days when you summoned me back here. What could possibly so important?”

Minato bowed slightly. “I'm sorry, Kushina, but I wanted someone else to see this, if what Iruka has told me is true. . .” And he performed a familiar set of seals, bit his thumb to start some blood flowing, and pushed one hand flat on the roof. “Kuchiyose no jutsu!”

Having seen Kakashi perform a summoning earlier that evening Iruka expected the smoke and the surge of air, but he was stunned by the size and power of it this time. Clearly whatever Minato-sama had summoned was many, many, many times larger than one pug dog. And when the smoke cleared he was confronted with a sight he knew he would never forget. A webbed foot, and a leg as big around as a tree trunk that extended up above him to an almost impossible height. He took a couple of steps back so he could more clearly see the giant toad that towered over the three of them. And in the fading light he just managed to make out the amphibian's shocked expression when he saw who had summoned him.

“Minato-san.” His deep, booming voice somehow managed to whisper. He glanced briefly at Kushina, the shock on his face not lessening one bit. Then his gaze landed on Iruka. “Sensei!” he exclaimed. “There's something strange going on! Why am I here?”

Some of the shock and surprise managed to transfer itself to Iruka, because he found himself unable to reply. His mouth hung open for countless minutes before he swallowed and forced himself to speak. “I. . . I'm sorry, do I know you?”

There was a drawn-out, uncomfortable moment before the toad gave a ponderous shake of his head. “I don't belong here,” he said, and with one last glance at Minato disappeared in a burst of smoke. The silence that followed his departure was almost deafening.

“Well,” Minato commented as he took a step forward into the slowly dissipating smoke. “As short as that was I think we can count it as confirmation of your idea, Iruka.”

Kushina looked back and forth between the two of them. “And here I was thinking we were done with outrageous ideas,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “What's this one?”

So once again Iruka found himself relating the story of what had happened earlier that evening in Kakashi's apartment. “Bottom line is whatever changed our reality apparently had no effect on the plane where summons animals exist.”

“Ooooooo-kay,” Kushina drawled out. “But how does that help us?”

“It doesn't,” Minato replied, moving toward the stairs to return to his office. “But it's more than adequate proof that we _are_ dealing with some sort of altered timeline.” He stopped at the foot of the staircase and turned to Iruka. “Notify the people you want to be a part of this mission. As of now it's officially authorized.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

The next morning Iruka escorted Kakashi to the T & I building before departing to take care of some business of his own. He had returned to Kakashi's apartment the night before with the news that Minato had put together the orders for a mission to see if they could find the perpetrators of the spell and fix it.

“It's been designated S-class,” Iruka had told him. “Not so much for the potential danger as the need for extreme secrecy.”

All that was left was to establish some sort of starting point, and that was up to Inoichi and Hiashi. If they couldn't break past the barricades on his memory there wouldn't be much else that could be done. He had tried asking Pakkun after the pug had been summoned, but without any luck. The ninken had (not very politely) reminded him that the reason he was confused about the reality he found himself in was because the pack had not been with him on that last mission. If they had been on the human plane of existence, Pakkun had continued, their reality would have been just as altered, and it was obvious that Kakashi was simply hoping to avoid the pain of a mind probe by getting the information he needed from another source.

Kakashi had to admit that the dog had a point. But now that all the other options were removed he didn't have a whole lot of choice.

The orders directed him to report to Room 301, which he knew from past experience was one of the most secure interrogation chambers in the entire building. It was completely inside, without an exterior wall, and protected by powerful silencing jutsus and a special genjutsu to make anyone not ordered there unaware of its existence. Whatever happened in Room 301 stayed in Room 301; it had long been nicknamed the Black Hole.

Inoichi was waiting for him outside the chamber's door, looking not at all like his usually calm self. “Kakashi,” he greeted the other man, shaking hands before pushing the door open. He gestured for Kakashi to take a seat, since they were still waiting on the Hyuga patriarch to arrive. When they were both seated Inoichi took a deep breath and began explaining what was to happen.

“This won't be an ordinary mind probe,” he began, tugging at his long ponytail. “We know, more or less, what we're after and where we'll find it. Hiashi-sama will help me target the proper areas, so this will be more focused than what you may have experienced in the past. More intense.”

Kakashi half snorted and half groaned. “More painful, I think you mean,” he commented, noting that the Yamanaka didn't deny it.

“Probably, yes,” Inoichi replied. “I can't say for sure because this isn't exactly standard procedure. But we do have a plan to hopefully make this easier on you.”

The door banged open, bouncing off of the wall and nearly closing again. “A little less exuberance, if you would, Shiranui-san.” The calm, quiet voice could belong to only one person, so Kakashi was not surprised when the door was pushed open again, much more gently, and Hyuga Hiashi entered. The person following him would have been a surprise if Hiashi hadn't mentioned another name.

“You can probably guess why Genma is here,” Inoichi said, a smile clear in his voice. “But I'll tell you anyway.” He glanced at Hiashi, who nodded. “We want you as relaxed as possible through this, so you'll be put under an extremely mild genjutsu, almost like having a daydream. With luck it will make this entire procedure that much easier.”

Kakashi didn't reply, although the look on his face spoke volumes. Genma noticed and stepped closer to him. “When Inoichi said a mild genjutsu he meant exactly that. In fact it's not even really classified as an illusion technique; it's simply a way to free your conscious mind to sort of. . . float. You'll actually be in complete control of what you see inside this daydream.” When Kakashi nodded his understanding Genma went through the necessary seals, pausing before the last one. “Think of something pleasant now, because once I finish this seal that's all you'll have for a while.”

There was a flash of reddish light and then the room around him disappeared.

_The field was dotted with patches of wildflowers and full of long grass waving in the breeze. As he walked each step kicked up the distinctive, loamy smell of the soil and another, sharper scent as stalks of grass were crushed beneath his sandals. There was another scent that lay beneath all of that; a spicy, citrusy smell that a part of him instinctively recognized._

“ _I know you're here,” was all he said, grinning as he heard footsteps approach him from behind._

“ _Of course I am! Genma told you to think of something pleasant; what else could that possibly be?” Iruka now stood at his side and looked around. “This is the damnedest genjutsu I've ever seen.”_

_Kakashi raised an eyebrow. “You know that this is a genjutsu?”_

“ _Of course,” Iruka scoffed. “You know that it is, and all I am at the moment is a part of your memory and imagination.”_

“ _That's awfully unromantic,” Kakashi said with a pout._

_Iruka just laughed. “Well, you're in control of all of this; if you want me to be more romantic you have to make it so.”_

“ _That sounds like a challenge,” he all but growled. Reaching out to lay a hand on Iruka's waist Kakashi was surprised to come into contact with warm, smooth, bare skin. Apparently his mind had, without his being aware of it, imagined Iruka naked, and in the blink of an eye that was the reality. He used the hand on the younger man's waist to pull him closer, up against his body. “Much better,” he purred, burying his face in Iruka's neck._

“ _Mmmm, perhaps. But you are still horribly overdressed.” He felt warm hands slide under his shirt and up his back. “In fact -”_

_Kakashi stopped those words with a lingering kiss, reveling in the pleased sound Iruka made as their tongues dueled. He focused his mind, imagining the both of them spread out in the grass, clothed in nothing but the warm sun. . ._

Light flared and Kakashi was back in the Black Hole, shaking his head to clear it of the vision and hoping that his partial erection wasn't glaringly obvious. Judging by Genma's smirk that was a futile hope, but he did his best to ignore the other man and focused instead on Hiashi and Inoichi. “Well?”

Inoichi grinned and even Hiashi's mouth curled up slightly at the corners. “Success!” was all the head of T & I said.

****~**~**~**~**~****

Later that afternoon Kakashi sat on the sofa in his living room, reading over the parameters of the upcoming mission. On paper it looked completely unimpressive; a mission to Hidden Grass country in an effort to find the trail of what had happened to him. The rest was left as open-ended as possible to take into account any of the dozens of things that the trail might lead to. The only other specific thing was a brief mention of the remote Earth Country cult that celebrated the magic of the Five Guardian Spirits.

What was far more interesting was the list of the shinobi that would take part in the mission. Kushina was to be in overall command, with Iruka as her second. Rin was listed as the team medic and a long-range combat specialist, and Genma for mid-range combat, which was normally Kakashi's specialty. The biggest surprise came at the bottom of the list.

_Tenzou Yamato: Chuunin – Special Jutsu, Containment, Sealing_

Wait, what?! A chuunin? How had that happened? He racked his brain in an effort to dredge up anything he might know about this reality's version of Tenzou but it wasn't much. They had interacted on a couple of missions, and Kakashi had been the ANBU assigned to keep an eye on the other man during the first year of Orochimaru's absence. They didn't know each other well, and were certainly not friends. That thought made him ache a little; the Tenzou that he knew was a valued part of his life, the balance that helped him keep his often contradictory thoughts and feelings in check, especially in the field.

But. . . _Special Jutsu_. Hopefully that meant that this Tenzou was also accomplished in Wood Style. He looked back at the team roster, cataloging what he knew of each person's skills as if he were the team's captain. Kushina was a seals expert and skilled in both wind and water jutsus. Iruka had fire and water release as well as a talent for traps that few people could compete with. Rin's medical skills would be her primary contribution, but she also used water techniques. Three water release users was a very good thing; not only were most water jutsus insanely powerful on their own but they also naturally enhanced his own lightning release. Genma was also a lightning user, but with an additional affinity for earth techniques that could come in handy. . .

And then Kakashi chuckled to himself and pressed a hand to his forehead, rubbing his temples. He was thinking about this as if he were to command these people, but also in terms of what he knew of their skills and techniques. Things that he knew from another lifetime, another Konoha. It was possible that every one of them was completely different as a shinobi. The only thing that was definitely the same was Rin as a medic. Besides, it wouldn't be up to him to make those sorts of decisions. Not this time.

He let out a sigh that was undeniably relieved. It felt surprisingly good to not have the weight of command pressing down on him, but also foreign, in a way. He could clearly remember the last mission he had commanded before ending up in this version of reality; Naruto and Sai with their almost constant bickering and Sakura's exasperated huffing at every other word. Tenzou had been with them as well, superbly holding himself apart from the fray that was the team's three youngest members. It had been a simple mission, following rumors of a band of rogue ninjas taking up residence along the border with the Land of Waves. The rumors had amounted to nothing though, as it turned out the rogues were actually a bunch of teenage civilians engaging in vandalism and other pranks. A few quick words in the ears of the village elders had put a stop to it, and they had returned to Konoha unscathed and laughing the whole way.

It was shortly after that he had been assigned the solo mission to Hidden Grass, but beyond that fact he couldn't remember anything. Inoichi had said that things might come back to him since he and Hiashi had pushed past that particular barrier in his memory, but so far he was still blank. Whenever that started to bother him he recalled Iruka's words on the subject: _Most of the memories that have returned to you have strong connections to your emotions_ , the tokujo had said. _It shouldn't be a surprise that mundane, everyday thing are still locked away._

And were likely to remain so until they fixed this.

****~**~**~**~**~****

While Kakashi had been studying the mission orders Iruka, on the other side of town, had been doing the same thing, and in the same way. His mind had cataloged everything he knew about each team member's skills, slotting them into specific job functions almost without conscious thought. It wasn't until a knock on his door that he snapped out of his almost-trance, hurrying to see who was there.

“What the fuck, Umino?!” Tenzou Yamato barked as soon as the door was opened. For good measure he threw a scroll that Iruka easily dodged. A scroll with a familiar seal.

“Um,” he said raising a hand to rub across his scar.

Yamato pushed into the apartment, kicking off his sandals as he did. One left a scuff mark on the wall. “Um? Is that all you have to say?” The teacher yanked off his hitai-ate and pushed a hand through his hair. When he spoke again he sounded somewhat calmer. “Just tell me why,” he said. “Why have I been assigned this mission? And in the middle of the school year, no less!”

“Yamato-sensei -”

“Does this have anything to do with what I told you? All that crap about the Five Guardians and Orochimaru's obsession with the legends?” Something in Iruka's face must have given him away because Yamato paled. “Shit! It does, doesn't it?” He took two steps then collapsed onto the sofa. “You actually took me seriously?”

Iruka nodded, unable to keep a smile from tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You'd be surprised at the things I take seriously in my job,” he said. “But probably even more surprised at how many seemingly ridiculous things turn out to be the truth.”

Yamato looked up at him before scrubbing his hands down his face. “I could really use a drink,” he muttered.

In no time at all Iruka was back in the living room, sake set carefully arranged on the kotatsu. Yamato knocked back the first cup in the blink of an eye and with no hesitation the tokujo poured another. The teacher took a sip and carefully set the cup down. “That's why you want me on this mission, right? Because of Orochimaru.”

“There are a lot of reasons I asked for you on this mission,” Iruka replied. “And I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a factor, but it's not the most important one. Mainly I want you for your special. . . containment skills.”

It shouldn't have been possible but Yamato went even paler. “You think. . .”

“No! God no! I'm not even remotely worried about Kushina losing control and setting the Nine-tails loose.” Now it was Iruka's turn to knock back the sake. “But there are so many unknowns in this situation, and I believe you and the Wood Style jutsu is our best bet to counter anything unexpected. That and your Earth Release would probably come in handy.”

Yamato's sigh of relief was clearly audible. “Mm, yes, I noticed the mention of Earth Country in the mission parameters.”

“In my investigation I've come across numerous references to a cult that espouses a philosophy in line with the Five Guardian Spirits,” Iruka replied. “As well as a few to that spell you mentioned.”

The teacher grimaced. “Hell, I started all of this, didn't I? Guess that means I need to suck it up and get on with it.” He glanced around the small room to locate where the scroll had landed, then got up to retrieve it. He unrolled it a bit, silently perusing the orders. “Why Kusagakure?” he asked.

Iruka hesitated for a moment; the Yondaime's gag order with regard to the entire story was still in effect. But the two members of the team that had not been present at that meeting would need to hear the whole story eventually, and besides that he felt a need to prove his faith in Yamato, so he told him a quick, abridged version of the entire story. “Yamanaka-taichou and Hiashi-sama were able to break through one of the barriers in Kakashi's memory, and his last mission in that other reality had been to Grass Country,” he concluded. “The Hokage thinks it's our best bet to pick up some sort of trail, although if such a trail leads anywhere but Earth Country I'll be surprised.” He noticed the sudden change in Yamato's expression? “What?”

Yamato shook his head. “I. . .” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “The Sandaime allows me access to official reports and communications that come in from Orochimaru,” he spoke, the words tumbling quickly from his mouth. “And his last report, received two days ago, was sent from Iwagakure.”


	11. Chapter 11

“You do realize that what you are proposing could be considered treason, don't you?”

Iruka paled but didn't back down. “It's nothing like that!” he exclaimed, making sure he held his companion's gaze the entire time.

Kushina sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Iruka,” she began, in a tone of voice that reminded him – distressingly so – of his mother. “Violating a mission order _is_ a treasonous act under Konoha law. Not that anyone's ever been charged and punished as such, but that doesn't change the facts.” She gave another, louder sigh. “And knowing my luck this would be the one time the Hokage _would_ decide to prosecute it.”

“We wouldn't be violating anything,” Iruka insisted, although he was now having a harder time keeping his eyes fixed on Kushina's. _Not that it really matters_ , he thought to himself. _She's a sensor so she already knows that I'm lying_. “We'd just be sort of. . . skipping a few steps.”

“Skipping a few steps,” she repeated, voice hollow an without inflection. Then, faster than he could follow, she reached out and smacked the back of his head. “Here's some facts for you, Iruka-kun. One of those steps -” She all but spat the word. “- that you want us to skip is the very first one. Meaning we would not go to where the order directs us to go. How, pray tell, is that NOT a violation of our mission directive?” Her tone had steadily risen as she spoke, until Iruka thought the glass in his windows would shatter from the force of it. Then the look on her face completely changed and her eyes took on a mischievous gleam. “Although. . .”

Iruka swallowed against the apprehension suddenly tightening his throat. Despite the fact that she seemed to be coming around to his way of thinking he didn't feel any better. “Al. . . Although?” he croaked.

Kushina grinned. “I think I see where you're going with this,” she said, rubbing her hands together. “The most direct route to Earth Country will take us near the Grass Village, so we'd be in compliance with our orders, right? But since the rest of the mission parameters are so open-ended we wouldn't be violating anything if we passed right through.” She started to look serious again. “But, Iruka, do you really think this is the best approach? I mean, there's no evidence -”

“I know there isn't,” he cut in, feeling an uncomfortable frisson of doubt chase up his spine. “But I can't shake this feeling.”

“I think your instincts are sound,” Kushina replied, laying a hand on one of his shoulders and giving it a squeeze. “And while I agree with this plan in principle I also think it would be to our benefit to at least try and find clues or hints in Kusagakure. Even if it is only so we can justify our actions in the mission report.” When he nodded his agreement she went on. “Now that that's all settled are you going to tell me what else is on your mind?”

Iruka cursed the blush that he could feel climbing his cheeks. He thought about protesting that he had no clue what she meant, but then a tiny voice in the back of his head (that sounded suspiciously like Kakashi) muttered _Damn sensors!_. He gave his head a shake. “It's not really related to the mission,” he warned.

Kushina waved that off. “Like that matters,” she said with a snort. “Anything bothering you or weighing on your mind has the potential to effect the mission, so you need to tell me now.”

He sighed and leaned back in the chair. “Do you. . . I mean. . .” He sucked in a breath. “I know Kakashi has been fairly open about most of the things he remembers as different, but do you get the feeling he's holding something back? Something big?”

Kushina's nod was slow. “I do,” she simply stated. “And I think it has something to do with Yondaime-sama. His emotions fluctuate wildly whenever he's in the same room with Minato.”

Her impressions were totally in line with what Iruka was sensing. “And you're not curious about what he might be hiding?”

Of course I'm curious.” The response was accompanied by a _Don't be stupid!_ sort of look. “But I'm not going to force Kakashi to talk about something that might be uncomfortable, or even painful, for him.”

Iruka's heart immediately felt more at ease and he smiled. “I'm glad you feel that way, because that's what I've been thinking as well. I would have hated it if we came into conflict on this issue.”

“I wouldn't worry about that, Iruka. We've been on the same page since all of this started, after all. Besides, there's something bigger to be concerned about.”

“What's that?”

“If we succeed and change reality back to what it's supposed to be what, exactly, happens to all of us?"

****~**~**~**~**~****

The grey light of dawn was just creeping into the bedroom as Iruka and Kakashi stood facing each other, both making a last few adjustments to their uniforms and gear. Iruka was especially attentive to the task, since he wasn't as accustomed to the regular uniform with weapons pouches and flak vest. The room was eerily silent except for the rustling of cloth and the soft clink of metal as he did a quick check of the shuriken in his holster. When he was done he straightened up and found Kakashi staring directly at him, face an expressionless mask.

“What are you thinking?” he asked the older man, voice soft.

Kakashi blinked twice, then raised one hand to his hitai-ate. “Can I. . .?” he asked, and when Iruka nodded he pushed the headband up and exposed his Sharingan. “I want to remember you in this moment.” He spoke so quietly that Iruka almost didn't hear him. “If we do this, if this mission succeeds. . .” He closed both eyes. “I don't know what, exactly, we'll find on the other side. Maybe the reality that I remember will have been altered, somehow. I hope that isn't the case, but I can't -”

Iruka cut his words off with a kiss; swift, hard, and urgent. Their teeth clashed for a brief moment before they adjusted. They finally pulled apart when air became a more urgent need than the contact, but only far enough to catch their breath. Iruka kept his hands in Kakashi's hair, holding the jounin close to him. “What's waiting on the other side doesn't matter,” he said, still a little breathless. “We have to do this – fix this – before everything we know and care about falls apart. You said it yourself; we can't be selfish.”

“Iruka, I have to tell you-”

A finger pressed to his lips stopped the flow of words. “No,” Iruka declared with a shake of his head. “You can't tell me anything. I'm a part of this world, this reality. Telling me anything specific about the other could be dangerous.” His lips quirked in a smile. “It's bad enough I already know that we're lovers there as well.” Kakashi looked aghast and Iruka laughed. “It wasn't hard to figure out, especially when you made that comment about how we would always find each other.” He shrugged. “I figured that was your way of telling me without _telling_ me.”

Kakashi wanted to smile at the same time he felt tears start to threaten. He pulled his hitai-ate back down to cover his left eye. “It's good to know that no matter what the reality you're still one of the smartest people I know,” he said, kissing one corner of Iruka's mouth.

“One of?”

The mock-offended tone of voice made Kakashi laugh out loud as he wrapped his arms around the other man and held him close. “No matter the world, no matter the reality,” he whispered in Iruka's ear as his embrace tightened, “I will always – ALWAYS – need you. Never doubt that.”

They held each other for a long moment, a part of Iruka wishing that time could just stop right then. But he was enough of a realist, and a pragmatist, to know that reality had to be faced, no matter what version it was. “We need to go,” he softly said, pulling back from the embrace just enough to look Kakashi in the eye. “The others will be waiting for us.”

Kakashi smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to Iruka's forehead. “And it wouldn't do for the mission's second to be late, now would it?” Then he looked the other man up and down and the smile transformed to a grin. “I was right; you look damned good in the regular field uniform.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

The great bamboo forest that surrounded the Village Hidden In Grass was a welcome sight after two days of swift and difficult travel. The journey had been particularly hard on Yamato, who wasn't accustomed to the pace of running on a mission. He kept up with his training every day, but as he said himself once when they stopped for a (brief) break training was no match for field work.

Iruka may not have been as adversely effected as Yamato, but he was also feeling the strain. Pat of it was mental; being second in command was not a position he had ever been in before. That, combined with the constant need to have all senses on alert, was proving to be a drain on his stamina. When Kushina said they'd camp one last night in the bamboo forest and enter the village first thing the next morning he couldn't hold back his sigh of relief.

When he arrived at the tent that Kushina and Rin shared Iruka found the medic on her knees, healing the blisters that had formed on Yamato's feet. Kushina stood nearby, her expression a cross between sympathy at the pain the teacher had endured and frustration that he had kept moving despite it. “If you had told me, sensei, we could have taken a break for Rin to heal you hours ago,” she said sternly. “There is nothing so urgent in this stage of the mission that couldn't have waited.”

Yamato's wide-eyed gaze said more than any words could, though, and Iruka understood with the same bone-deep certainty. It was inherent in the spell that had been used; the longer it went on the greater the consequences would be. Every hour, every day, pushed their reality into greater instability and closer to the possibility of total collapse. The couldn't afford many delays.

Kushina seemed to sense their unease for she changed the subject. “When Genma and Kakashi return from laying out traps we'll sit down and discuss how we're going to approach our mission from this point.” She glanced at Iruka out of the corner of her eye. “I would like to spend as little time as possible here in Grass country.”

Rin looked surprised at that announcement. She opened her mouth to speak but just as quickly closed it, her eyes jumping from Kushina to Iruka. Yamato kept his gaze on the ground, a flush just barely visible across his cheekbones. He was going to need to tell everybody all the things he knew, and it was clear he didn't relish the idea.

Voices and laughter floated in from outside the tent, and it didn't take long before Kakashi and Genma pushed aside the flap and entered. They both flopped cross-legged on the ground. “Perimeter is secured with traps and a genjutsu to make the camp invisible,” Genma reported. Kushina acknowledged him with a nod before sitting on the one camp stool she had pulled from a storage scroll.

“Okay, now that we're all here I've got a few things that need to be said,” she began. “I know that you're expecting our mission to take some time here, searching for hints or clues that might help us figure out what happened to Kakashi.” Her gaze slid to Yamato for a split second, but even as quick as it was everyone noticed. “Certain information, recently received, has led me to decide that we would be better off spending as little time here as possible.”

 

“New information, Taichou?” Genma asked, ne eyebrow raised.

Yamato lifted his head and met Kushina's eyes. She nodded once, and he launched into the story of what he had told Iruka about the Five Guardian Spirits, the spell, and Orochimaru's interest in all of that. Iruka picked up the story after the teacher, explaining all the paths his investigation had followed before arriving at the conclusion that Yamato's idea was, in fact, the true course of events. “The last known location of Orochimaru was in a village near Iwagakure,” he concluded. “That, plus the confirmed existence of a religious cult in Earth Country that worships the Five Guardians, led Kushina and I to think that our best approach would be to go directly to Hidden Stone.”

Rin, who was the only person present who had not heard at least part of the story, sat open-mouthed once Iruka stopped speaking. When he glanced her way she grinned and shook her head. “No wonder you didn't want to tell me anything,” she muttered for his ears only.

“Even though I agree that making our way to Earth Country would be best we can not ignore the part of our mission orders that directs us to make inquiries here in Kusagakure,” Kushina put in. “That and politics demand that we at least make our presence here known.”

“Politics?” Kakashi asked, face creased in confusion.

Iruka wondered if this was one of those things that was different between their world and what Kakashi remembered of his, so he quickly spoke up. “The council of Kusagakure has been lobbying the Five Great Shinobi Countries to have their leader recognized with the title of Kage,” he explained. “Yondaime-sama has not yet made his decision in that regard, so if we want to maintain good diplomatic relations we need to at least pay our respects.”

“And maybe learn a few things along the way?” Genma asked, lips quirked in a smile. “Like whether or not anyone here has had contact with either Orochimaru or this cult you keep talking about?” Everyone looked a little surprised at that insightful comment, making the sandy-haired man laugh. “What? I make a good point every once in a while!”

Rin leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder. “Yes dear, we know,” she said with a smile.

“He does make an excellent, though.” Kushina looked at Iruka, who nodded in agreement. “All right, this is what we're going to do. Tomorrow, while Rin and I pay a visit to the council of Kusagakure and keep up a good diplomatic front, you four will discreetly explore the village, looking for any indication of activity by either Orochimaru or the cultists.” She looked at Yamato. “I assume, sensei, that you have knowledge of the people that Orochimaru might contact?” Yamato gave a quick nod, face strained. “Good, then you'll at least have a head start. And in the meantime I would suggest that we all try to get a decent night's sleep tonight, since such a thing is likely to become increasingly rare in the immediate future.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

The alley was narrow and dark; the tall buildings on either side blocking out most of the sunlight. Kakashi hated the prickling sensation on the back of his neck and kept hunching his shoulders in an effort to shake it. It was useless, of course; too many years of ingrained shinobi instinct made any dim, enclosed space a threat. Even when his only companions were other shinobi.

“Are you sure we're going the right way?” Iruka's voice came from up ahead.

“As sure as I was the last four times you asked me.”

Kakashi grinned. That quick flash of temper was no different to the Yamato he held in his memories and that fact made him feel surprisingly good.

They were on their way to visit an apothecary that was known to do business with Orochimaru: business of both a legitimate and a not-so-legitimate nature. Yamato had been reluctant to approach the man even though he knew it was their best chance of gaining quality information all in one place. The apothecary wasn't known for his ethics, and there was always a chance that he wouldn't accept Yamato as someone in the researcher's confidence. If that turned out to be the case they'd be forced to pursue bits and pieces of information from a number of different sources, and it would take them twice as long.

“This doesn't feel right,” Genma whispered behind him.

Kakashi slowed his pace and allowed the other jounin to draw abreast of him so they could speak quietly. “I'm not arguing with you,” he began, keeping an eye on Iruka and Yamato walking ahead. “But this is the fastest way to accomplish what we need.”

“Assuming this two-bit chemist will even talk to us, you mean,” was the pessimistic response.

“Always assuming.”

Genma glanced sidelong at Kakashi; he knew that tone of voice. “So what's the plan for persuading him?” he asked.

Iruka turned back and glared at them. “You don't,” he said with an edge to his voice. “We are not here to make any kind of trouble, so keep your hands to yourselves.”

Kakashi wisely chose not to respond. “But Iruka,” Genma whined, doing an excellent imitation of a stubborn child.

Iruka's glare got even fiercer. “But nothing,” he barked, still managing to keep his voice soft. “You'll hang back and keep your mouth shut or I'll find a much more uncomfortable place for that senbon than in your mouth.”

“Are you idiots done?” Yamato's hissed words manage to startle all three men. “If you are can we please get on with this?” He nodded toward the brightly lit exit of the alley. “The apothecary shop is immediately to the right when we get out of here, and I'd rather the man have no advance warning of our presence.”

A flush climbed Iruka's face, but he recovered his composure quickly. He glanced down another alley that branched off to their right. “Is there a back door to the shop?” he asked. When Yamato nodded he went on. “Genma, you watch the back door. Do not enter the shop unless you hear my signal or see some obvious sign of trouble.”

“How are we defining an 'obvious sign of trouble'?”

“If you see my Wood Style branches explode out of the building,” Yamato replied with a snarl. “Is that enough of a sign?”

Iruka ignored that by-play and glanced at Kakashi. “I want you out front, but with the same orders. Do not come into the shop; Yamato-sensei and I will take care of things. I'd like to keep any persuading that needs to be done to words. It'll attract less attention and keep clean up to a minimum,” he finished with a grin.

Kakashi and Genma acknowledged their orders with quick nods and then disappeared. Even their chakra signatures were muted, a move that Iruka heartily approved of. He looked towards Yamato as they stepped into the sunlight just inside the alley. “Ready?”

“Not really, but I don't have much of a choice, do I?”

A bell rang dully as they pushed open the door to the shop. The scent of all the gathered herbs was so overwhelming that Iruka had to suppress the urge to sneeze. A muffled voice from another room was, but neither of the shinobi could make out the words. Then the proprietor emerged from behind a curtain with a welcoming smile, a smile that faded as soon as he set eyes on Yamato.

“Boto-san,” he greeted the apothecary with a bow of his head.

Boto's mouth gaped open for a long moment before he closed it with an audible swallow. “Wha. . . What are you doing here?” he asked, doing his best to sound forceful. “What do you want? I'm not selling anything questionable or -”

Yamato held up a hand, immediately silencing the other man. “I'm not buying,” he said. “I haven't done any work for _him_ in years. I'm only looking for information.”

The apothecary's eyes flicked toward where Iruka was standing behind Yamato, partly in shadows. “I don't know anything,” he replied, but the statement lacked conviction. Even without his sensory skills Iruka could tell the man is lying.

Yamato laughed softly. “You don't even know what I'm interested in, Boto-san. You might know more than you think.”

“I. Don't. Know. Anything.”

“Mmmm. Maybe I'll just take a look around.” Yamato moved toward a display of bottles that had labels so faded it was all but impossible to discern what was in them. Boto stiffened and his entire emotional profile changed. He was still nervous at their presence but now Iruka could sense the subtle shift from nerves to fear. When Yamato picked up one jar in particular it was clear that the apothecary was straining to keep himself from grabbing the item back and tossing them out of his shop.

“My, my, my,” Yamato whispered, turning the small jar around in his hands. “A strange item to have on display, Boto-san, since you claimed to not be involved in any – What was the word you used? - questionable sales.”

Yamato tossed the jar to Iruka, who stiffened when he saw what it contained. Hair, clearly human, and with traces of chakra clinging to it. He looked up from the item in his hand and glared at the apothecary, who started to sweat.

“That. . . That has a perfectly proper and legal medical use!” Boto exclaimed, voice wavering slightly.

Yamato didn't even glance at Iruka. “Yes, it does,” he replied, carefully taking the jar from his companion. “But possession of chakra-enriched hair is restricted to licensed medical ninja, as I'm sure you know.” He carelessly tossed the jar in the air and caught it easily. “So how about you tell me what I want to know and I'll forget I ever saw this.” The jar flew up again, Boto's eyes tracking it the entire time as it fell back into Yamato's hand.

****~**~**~**~**~****

“Damn, Yamato,” Genma exclaimed when Iruka finished telling the team what they had discovered and how the teacher had gotten the man to talk. “That's. . .” His voice trailed off, at a loss for words.

“Hot,” Rin supplied with a wide smile. Yamato blushed bright red but grinned back, acknowledging her with a slight nod.

Kushina snorted. “I was going to say impressive, but your point is taken.” She sighed and pushed a stray lock of hair behind one ear. “Okay, so basically what we learned is that Orochimaru was here, in Kusagakure, not too long ago and that he was in contact with a group of Earth Country merchants. Nothing very telling in all of that.”

Iruka shook his head. “I know. I had been hoping for something a little more significant, I admit. All we can do is continue on the Iwa and see if we can track down any of those merchants.”

“Or we could take a much more direct route,” Kakashi quietly said. When he had everyone's attention he shrugged. “Why not just ask Orochimaru himself? I assume, since he's still accepted as a shinobi of Konoha and in regular contact with the Sandaime, that he can be trusted?”

The all looked at Yamato, who dropped his eyes to the ground. “He can be trusted as long as it's in his own interest to cooperate. As soon as his desires and aims come into conflict with ours there'll be no knowing what's true and what's false.” He lifted his gaze to meet Kushina's eyes. “And don't think that having two sensors will make things any easier. He's a master at manipulating his emotions and chakra; he'll let you sense only what he wants you to.”

Kushina was silent for a long moment. “Still, it might not be a total waste of time. If nothing else I think it'd be worth it to pick his brains about the Guardian Spirits and the book of spells.”


	12. Chapter 12

_The mist wasn't thick, but it made seeing further than a few yards in any direction difficult. The way it reflected the moonlight was also having an affect on visibility. He couldn't tell what was what around him, but he knew there was something he needed to see. Something he needed to do. Someone he needed to talk to. He spun his body in a slow circle, all senses wide open, reaching out for any clue as to what was happening._

_There! Off to his right was a different sort of light; a warm, golden glow that grew in intensity the longer he stared at it. It seemed to burn through the silvery, moonlit mist, and as he watched the space around him began to clear, revealing tall trees that towered over him, growing so close together that it was almost impossible to see between._

_But the golden light was continuing to grow stronger, so he moved in that direction. The closer he got the warmer he became, until it felt like standing too close to a fire. He somehow knew there was no danger now, so he kept moving. Closer to that glow. His body broke out in sweat, drenching his clothes, when he was finally close enough._

_He squinted his eyes shut against the blazing light and stepped through it, almost staggering as he entered a dimly lit cave._

_She was beautiful in a wild, almost feral, way. Nearly half a head taller than him, her eyes were an unusual turquoise blue that gleamed in the near darkness. The only light in the place came from her hair. It twisted and moved about her head like flames, an impression heightened by its shifting colors. Red, yellow, orange, and an occasional flash of white, all blending or separating, dancing about, twining around her arms before moving to cover her face for the space of a heartbeat._

_He wanted to ask a thousand questions, but she held up one hand, stopping him in place. The golden light that he had seen from outside the cave manifested in that hand, and as he watched a tendril of it wafted forward towards him, curling itself into a ball over his heart._

“ _Mine.” That was the only word she spoke, before the light sank into his body, burning a path through him._

_He screamed._

Iruka jerked awake, heart racing and his breathing harsh and loud inside the tent. He sat up, pushing his hair away from his face. He pressed one hand to his chest, over his heart, and was shocked to feel heat – a pale shadow of what he had felt in the dream. Dream, or a vision?

“Umino-san?”

Shit, he had forgotten that Yamato was also in the tent. “It's okay, it's nothing,” he said, pushing back the blanket and rising from the bedroll. “Just a weird dream. I'm gonna step outside for a few minutes of fresh air.”

The blankets on the other bedroll shifted and Yamato peered out at him before nodding once and rolling over. His soft, regular breathing was the only sound.

His legs felt a little shaky underneath him, so Iruka took a few moments to calm himself before leaving the tent. Outside was full of silvery moonlight, like he had seen in the dream, but no mist or fog. Instead the light threw the rocky formations around their camp into sharp relief. He just stood, hands on his hips, taking long breaths of the chilly air and trying to hold on to the details of the dream to keep them from drifting away.

“Iruka?”

He started and one hand twitched toward his weapon holster before his brain caught up with his instincts and he recognized Kakashi's voice. “Yeah,” he softly replied, moving closer to the shadow that he assumed was the other man. “I didn't think you were still on watch.”

“Forty-five minutes to go, then Genma takes over.” Kakashi turned his head and Iruka saw the red glow of his Sharingan, looking him over. “What brings you out here in the middle of the night?” Both eyes narrowed. “Bad dream?”

Iruka shrugged and sat on the ground beside Kakashi, folding his legs. “Not sure,” he replied. “It seemed like a dream, but I don't think I can tell anymore.” He huffed a short laugh. “Too many of those crazy visions, I guess.” He raised a hand and pressed it over his heart. The last, lingering bits of heat were gone now, but he imagined he could still feel it.

Kakashi noticed the movement, but didn't say anything. His own peace of mind had been (thankfully) undisturbed by any more visions, dreams, or memory flashes since they had set out on the mission. A part of him had been afraid that he'd be bombarded with things once they crossed into Earth Country, regarded by many as the birthplace of the legends of the Great One and the Five Guardian Spirits, but so far he'd gotten off lightly. It bothered him, though, that Iruka was apparently not so lucky.

“I'll listen,” he sighed, turning away from the tokujo who sat near him. “If you want to talk about it.” Then he dropped his hand and slid his fingers through Iruka's hair. “I'll always listen.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

They found Orochimaru exactly where they expected him to be, in a small village about a mile southeast of Iwagakure. The older man seemed surprised at the sudden appearance of six fellow Konoha shinobi on his doorstep, but considering his ability to mask much of what he felt and thought it was difficult to tell. The only one he greeted by name was Yamato, who seemed to shrink inside himself at the attention.

Kushina watched the entire scene, eyes and other senses not missing a thing. Yamato's discomfort was obvious, so she stepped forward to draw Orochimaru's attention to her. “I'm sure you're curious as to why we're here,” she said, glancing quickly at Iruka, who nodded. “Iruka and I will stay here. The four of you go find us a place to spend the night.”

Yamato looked like he wanted to argue, but Rin laid a hand on his arm and he subsided. Genma and Kakashi both cast glares in Orochimaru's direction before turning to leave. Kakashi met Iruka's gaze, that wordless moment of communication enough to tell him it would be okay. The two jounin corralled Yamato and the three left the room. There was a loud clatter as one of the outer doors slid closed.

Rin was still there, looking worried. “Taichou,” she began, biting back the rest of her words when Kushina shook her head.

“Go. It's fine, trust me.”

As soon as Rin's footsteps had faded out the front door Orochimaru turned his attention to his somewhat unwanted guests. He bowed low in what should have been a polite manner but managed to be disdainful and slightly insolent. “Uzumaki-san,” he drawled. His raspy voice sounded like a snake's hiss. “To what do I owe this honor?” He dismissed Iruka with barely a glance.

Kushina saw the tokujo stiffen and laid a hand on his arm, stilling what would have been an angry outburst. “No honor,” she replied, stepping around the older man and further into the room. “Just a bit of information gathering.” She sat in what appeared to be the only comfortable chair in the room, looking as if she were settling in for a pleasant chat.

A light pink blush dusted Orochimaru's cheeks and Iruka caught a quick flicker of discomfort before the other man reined in his emotions, his chakra signature disappearing as completely as if it had been folded away in a closed drawer. Then he laughed and inclined his head to Kushina, acknowledging that tiny defeat. He sat at the low table, hands carefully clasped together on its surface. “What makes you think I'll cooperate in this information gathering?”

“Honestly I don't really expect you to. But as someone else reminded me recently it's worth a try.” She nodded to Iruka, who stepped forward and laid a copy of the investigation report on the table. Orochimaru raised one eyebrow before sliding the folder closer and opening it to read.

He didn't speak at all, but halfway through the report there was a flutter in his chakra, and Iruka and Kushina exchanged a glance. That was unmistakably curiosity; almost against his will Orochimaru was interested. Iruka's breathing eased immediately; he had been worried that they would be ignored simply because the older man didn't care, but that wasn't the case.

It didn't take very long to read the entire report and when he was done Orochimaru closed the folder and sat staring at it for a long moment. When he lifted his gaze he looked directly at Iruka. “I'm surprised that you would take something like this so seriously, Iruka-kun.”

The tokujo simply shrugged and pushed away from the wall, seating himself at the table across from Orochimaru. “When all the clues and hints point in a certain direction it's easy to take something seriously,” he said. “No matter how fantastical it may seem.”

“I agree.” The older man glanced at Kushina. “But given that you seem to have figured things out I don't understand what information you want from me.”

She leaned forward. “Any information you can give us,” she replied. “It's one thing to have figured out what caused this so-called alternate reality. It's quite another to know how to fix it. Given some of your research in that area I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that you know things that aren't in the books.” She shrugged. “At least the books that we have access to.”

“Hmmm,” Orochimaru mused. “I have come across some things in my research that might be of interest to you.” He looked from Kushina to Iruka. “What, exactly, do you already know? Besides what's in the report.”

Iruka summarized the things he had learned, careful to leave nothing out. “It was actually Uchiha-san's belief that such a thing was possible that pushed me into taking it more seriously,” he said. “Between that and Hiashi-sama seeing the walls around Kakashi-san's memory it seemed natural to approach this as the best possible explanation.” He had to laugh a little. “But believe me, there were plenty of times when I thought I was a little crazy to pursue such a course.”

“You're not alone in that,” the older man put in, smiling slightly. “I sometimes wonder why I continue to study all of that.”

“Why are you in Earth Country, Orochimaru-sama?” Kushina asked. “Is it because of this nation's close ties to the Five Guardian legends?”

There was a moment's hesitation before the answer came. “Partly,” Orochimaru responded. “Mostly I'm interested in the properties of an ancient earth style jutsu that some say is actually a kekkei genkai.” He sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. “But I can't see any harm in giving you a more complete picture of those legends, so. . .”

_Long ago, in the dark depths of time, the void was empty of all life except for Kono Kyoaina Ryuu – the Great Dragon. The beast existed to maintain the eternal cycle, the balance between what was and what co uld be. Millenia passed with all things held in check by the will of one being._

_But, like many things that possess a mind and a heart, the Dragon grew into an understanding of how lonely he was in all things. The strength it took to keep the eternal balance was growing, and he no longer felt up to the task all on his own. So, with gusts of his fiery breath, he gave life to five daughters, each tasked with the job of keeping her assigned element equal to the others._

_Fotia, Guardian of Fire. Anemos, Guardian of Wind. Gi, Guardian of Earth. Nero, Guardian of Water. Astrapi, Guardian of Lightning._

_With his daughters at his side what had been a burdensome existence became much better and easier. But with that ease came an increasing sense of boredom, so the Great One created worlds and creatures to inhabit them. And one particular world became the world of Man, and on that world grew a landmass that would be divided into five nations, each to be ruled over by one of his daughters and named for the elements that they held in balance._

_Then came a day, long after the Guardians had become the rulers of men, when the five daughters decided to use the power of the world they presided over to honor their father. They pooled their magic and, with the help of the land on which their vassals lived, grew a great tree, so tall and expansive that it could almost block out the sun and the moon. So_ _successful was that first tree as a tribute that they again pooled their power and grew four more, one each in the elemental nations they ruled. And so the eternal balance continued._

_But men are fickle creatures, and it wasn't much longer before they started to forget the reality of the Guardians and began to regard them as the stuff of myths. And with no thought to who was watching over them they began to fight amongst themselves, first small conflicts, then all out war between nations._

_The Divine Trees, not surprisingly, responded to the bloodshed, but not in an expected way. All but one withered and died, and that one grew even taller and more imposing as it absorbed the blood of countless battles. In time a fruit blossomed and ripened, and the superstitious men regarded it as a sign of divine favor despite its existence being the exact opposite. Eventually the fruit withered, and with it the last tree._

_The bloodshed continued unchecked, and nearly one hundred generations later another divine tree grew, bloomed, and died. And again, and again, and again. Until the day that visitors came from another dimension. The lack of belief had so weakened the Guardians that they had been unable to stop the infiltration, and before anybody was aware enough to block them the Outsutsuki clan was a part of their world. Their leader, a woman named Kaguya, was a skilled manipulator and quickly rose to a place of prominence. She possessed unparalleled visual prowess, and it wasn't long before people started to regard her as a virtual goddess._

_Which is what she had been aiming for all along._

_With the hearts of the people firmly in her thrall Kaguya did all she could to foment more conflict, more bloodshed. There was a plan behind every action and every battle. The excess of blood spilled brought forth a new divine tree, with the fruit following. A fruit that held remnants of the power of the Five Elemental Guardians._

_A fruit that Kaguya consumed to become more god-like than ever before._

“. . . and the rest, as they say, is history,” Orochimaru concluded. “The cult of the guardians has a stronger foothold here in Earth Country because all of the legends suggest that this was where the very first Divine Tree was grown.”

Kushina stood from the chair, absentmindedly tugging her flak vest down to her waist. “History,” she said scornfully. “More like legends on top of legends.”

Iruka didn't respond, although he disagreed with her. With each new insight added to the pile his certainty that there was truth in all of the stories steadily increased. “We need to focus on putting a stop to all of this,” he said. “We can sort out what's real and what's fable later.” He glanced at Orochimaru, noticing that the older man was studying him intently, no longer dismissive. “Any ideas or advice?”

There was a long pause during which both Kushina and Iruka fidgeted under the gaze of the room's third occupant. The silence finally broke when Orochimaru made a sound suspiciously like a snort. “If you accept that the magic of the Five Guardians is a sort of ancestor to chakra then how you stop the spell is similar to stopping a long-term jutsu,” he said. “You have to kill the caster.”

Kushina pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Great. Perfect. A spell caster that, given we are occupying a different reality from the one in which the damned spell was cast, we have little to no chance of tracking down, let alone killing. And the person who provided the chakra to power the spell has virtually no recollection of said events.”

Orochimaru laughed. “Is this really what passes as a jounin in Konoha these days?” Kushina glared at him and he held up a hand in what should have been a placating gesture. “Magic, like chakra, leaves traces. No matter what, how, or why. Even no matter where or when. And the fact that, as you said, chakra was used to augment the magic should -”

“We don't need to track Kakashi's movements, just his chakra!” Iruka all but shouted, resisting the urge to smack himself on the head. “Gods, I'm a idiot.”

“Pretty much.” Orochimaru's grin was downright disturbing. “I would also think that this process would be that much easier, and go that much smoother, if you use all of your resources.” When Iruka looked confused the other man simply shook his head. “There is a pack of ninken available, is there not? Dogs that I expect are extremely familiar with Hatake's chakra signature?”

For a moment Iruka's face was lit with hope, but then it clouded over again. “The situation with the ninken is. . . well, awkward.”

“In what way?”

“They were on their spirit plane instead of our human one when all of this went down,” Kushina explained. “They weren't effected by the spell.”

“So their view of reality is not the same as ours,” Iruka went on. “They have knowledge that the rest of us don't possess and of things that Kakashi only vaguely remembers. Letting them mingle with us increases the chance of the two realities colliding in a dangerous manner.”

“I would think it would be worth the risk if they can help end all of this that much sooner,” Orochimaru responded. Then he sighed. “But that's the decision of your jounin captain,” he went on with a nod to Kushina. Then he stood up and started to move toward the door. “I know it's not always standard procedure but I would definitely recommend announcing your presence to the council and the Tsuchikage. You don't need to tell them exactly what your mission is; he may do nothing to help you but if he knows you're here he also won't hinder you. And it would be worth the bother to avoid having Iwa nin breathing down your collective neck.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

_The tiny pebbles made crunching sounds under his feet, and he twitched in response every time he took a step. The moon was waning; a bare sliver in the sky that hardly cast enough light to see in front of his face. He could have bared his left eye and used it's power, but he felt strangely reluctant to do so. There was nothing urgent to his meandering, after all. Just a need to find something._

_Or maybe it was someone? There was an emptiness inside him, one that he couldn't quite understand the reason for. It grated on his heart and soul and pushed him out into this barren, rocky desert, alone. For what?_

_A flare of light appeared, rushing directly at him. He ducked out of the way, but felt the unmistakable heat of a fire as it passed him close enough to singe the ends of his hair. He staggered to his feet and looked around, trying to see whoever had produced the fireball. But there was no else about, only the silence, the barest hint of moonlight, and the pebbles crunching under his feet._

“ _You seek the one you believe I have taken from you.”_

_He jumped and spun to confront the voice, hand automatically reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. But a split second later he relaxed; something deep inside of him recognized that the woman who spoke was not a threat. She was a beauty, though, her eyes the brilliant blue-green of a tropical sea and her hair a shining, shifting mass of red, gold, and orange. She was tall, and there was a regal aura to her bearing._

“ _Who are you?” he asked, aware of the awestruck tone of his voice._

“ _You'll discover that soon enough, warrior. But you need him. Only together will you break through.” Then she stepped closer to him and reached out a hand to touch his chest, just over his heart. The heat of her touch seared his skin, and he cried out against the pain. The last thing he remembered was her voice._

“ _You are mine, as is he. Do not fail me.”_


	13. Chapter 13

“I thought the snake charmer said the Tsuchikage wouldn't do anything to help us. So why do we have company?” Genma's voice was just loud enough to be heard by the entire group, as evidenced by the stiffened shoulders of the young girl walking about five yards ahead of them.

Iruka rolled his eyes. “Do you even have a filter between your brain and your mouth, or does everything you're thinking just tumble right out of that gaping hole in your skull?” he hissed. Genma turned wounded eyes in his comrade's direction, but Iruka wasn't about to let that influence him. “Seriously, I know you want to suspect her motives. Hell, a part of me wants to suspect her as well! But until something happens to sway things one way or another we need to just stay on task and not let her presence effect what we're here for.”

A hand reached out and smacked Genma on the back of the head, wringing a pained grunt out of the man. “Let me take him off you hands, Iruka,” Rin said with a smile, hooking her arm through Genma's and dragging him away, ignoring all of his protests.

Iruka sighed and lengthened his stride until he was beside their new companion. “I'm sorry,” he told her. “I wish I could assure you that he's really not that much of a jerk but sometimes I wonder, and I've known him my entire life.”

The girl smiled thinly. “It's all right,” she replied, her voice tight. “I don't blame any of you for being suspicious of me.”

Her name was Shinkou, and she was sixteen years old. She was a civilian, but both Iruka and Kushina had been staggered by the strength of the chakra they sensed in her. They were all curious about why she had agreed to help them, but the only one she had spoken to so far was Iruka. He planned on taking ruthless advantage of her comfort with him.

“I need to ask you some questions, Shinkou,” he began. “It's important that we know more about you, especially since you're willing to help us.”

The girl nodded. “You want to know what skills I might have if it comes to a fight.”

Iruka thought briefly about denying it, but the look in her eyes told him how that would be received. “That's not the most important thing, but I'll admit it's the one I'm the most curious about.” They walked in silence for a time. “Our captain and I, we're both what we call sensors. We can detect chakra, how much someone has, how it flows and circulates, and even how it influences reactions and emotions.” He pushed some loose hair out of his face. “It's. . . Well, it can be pretty intrusive, even when we don't focus with a will, and you -”

“You've sensed my chakra.”

Iruka nodded. “Not intentionally, but it's a little hard to miss. Hard to ignore.” He glanced at her out of the corner of one eye, watching as she bit her lip and her debated with herself about what to tell him. Finally she sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment.

“My parents were shinobi. Both jounin, and my father was also a medic. They were well regarded and respected; my mother even served for a year in the Tsuchikage's special guard. Then. . .” She hesitated and had to take a deep breath. “There was a mission. . . I was only four years old at the time so I don't know all the details, but my mother was injured badly enough that she had to retire from active missions. She grew bitter, kept claiming that she had been betrayed by her team mates, by the system, even by the entire Land of Earth. My father was easily influenced by her and agreed to keep me from undergoing shinobi training. I stayed in the regular village school, and when I was ten. . .”

She paused again to gather herself. Iruka could sense the turmoil in her emotions; he wanted to help her but didn't know exactly how he could so he kept silent as she struggled to calm herself. She looked directly at him. “I was ten when she fell in with that cult.”

Iruka was surprised even though he had expected something of the sort when Orochimaru had mentioned someone who might be able to help them. He opened his mouth to say something – anything – but then closed it with a nearly audible snap. The story was clearly difficult for Shinkou to tell, and interrupting would only make it worse.

“The cult. They're the ones you guys are looking for, right?” When Iruka nodded she went on. “They manipulated my parents and took advantage of my mother's bitterness. They talked about things like how chakra was an abomination of what was intended for the world. That true purity of spirit was only possible by walking their path, the path that led to the magic of the Five Elemental Guardians. And then they -” Her breath caught on a sob. “They told my parents that their chakra was needed for a ritual that would restore the balance of the world, but it. . . That ritual drained my parents of all of their spiritual energy and killed them. I found out later that everything those cultists stood for was about preventing the world from achieving any kind of balance; that continued chaos was beneficial for them. But by then it was too late for me to do anything. I have all of this chakra and not a clue how to use it, except I know I want to make them pay for what they did to my parents.”

There was a long, drawn-out silence between them when she finished speaking. Iruka was working to process everything she had told him, and Shinkou was struggling to get her emotions back under control. He could feel all of them; her sadness and confusion, but most prominently her anger. But despite her words about making the cult pay he didn't sense the true, deep, burning anger that led to vengeance, and that allowed him to breathe a little easier.

He cleared his throat. “You said your mother and father were told that the ritual that required their chakra was about restoring balance to the world. Did anyone ever mention a prophecy along those same lines? Anything about a child destined to bring that balance back?”

Shinkou thought for a minute before shaking her head. “No, I never heard anything like that. Why?”

Iruka was turning everything over in his head. He had a feeling that the “ritual” that had killed Shinkou's parents had been an early attempt to cast the time disruption spell and wondered at how many attempts had been made before Kakashi, with his immense chakra, had given them what they needed to succeed.

“They did talk a lot about the Hidden Cloud village, I remember that,” she continued, looking slightly puzzled. “And one word got mentioned quite a bit as well, although from the way they used it I think it was actually someone's name.”

“What word?”

“Naruto.”

***~**~**~**~**~****

“You can't be serious.”

Iruka took a deep breath, working to get his sudden surge of anger under control. He would have greatly enjoyed punching Genma in the throat at that moment but had a feeling Kushina would frown on an inter-squad brawl. “I'm absolutely serious,” he said, pleased with how calm he sounded. “I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this.”

“You don't -” Genma cleared his throat loudly then turned his head and spat. “We don't know anything about this girl except what she's told us, and we have no way of verifying if any of it is true! She could be one of Orochimaru's pawns and we'd never know the difference. Hell, she could have been planted in our path by this damned magic cult to make sure our mission fails!”

“She's not one of _his_ ,” Yamato spoke so softly that his words almost went unheard. When everyone looked at him he flushed slightly but didn't back down. “I'd know if she were.”

Genma grunted, apparently acknowledging the truth of Yamato's statement. “That doesn't change the fact that we have no real idea who she is and by the time we figure it out it might be too late!”

“Genma.” Kushina's voice was quiet and calm but unmistakably in command. “I understand your concerns, and to a degree I share them. But I also agree with Iruka that we'll all be better off if Shinkou gets at least some rudimentary chakra control training.” She waited until Genma jerked his head down in a brief nod before turning to Yamato. “Sensei? Do you think you can teach her the basics? Quickly?”

Yamato pursed his lips and made a sound of frustration. “I suppose,” he sighed. “I don't exactly see anyone else volunteering.”

“I'll do it.” The words were out of Iruka's mouth before he was even aware of thinking them. “She already seems to trust me, so I may as well continue on.”

Kushina gave him a long stare before nodding. “Very well, if you think it best.” She turned and pointed at Genma. “Any objections?”

“Would it make a difference?”

“Not in the least.” Kushina grinned as Genma rolled his eyes. “Right, now that that's settled what else did she tell you, Iruka?”

“I asked her if she had ever heard anything about the prophecy we discovered,” Iruka replied. “She couldn't remember anything about that, but then she mentioned that the cult leaders talked quite a bit about Kumogakure.”

“Kumo?” Genma asked, surprised. “You never came across any references to Lightning Country in all of your research, did you?”

Iruka shook his head. “Not even a glimmer of a mention.”

“I wonder what Kumo has to do with any of this, then,” Kushina mused.

“Maybe it isn't connected to all of _this_.”

It was the first time Kakashi had spoken in the entire discussion and his voice startled everyone. Iruka took a moment to mull over the other man's words, feeling things clicking together in his head like the tumblers of a lock. “You think. . .?”

Kakashi nodded. “Kumo may have a connection to whatever the small, insignificant event was that those believers wanted changed.”

“But that would mean that the people who caused this problem also have memories of that other reality,” Kushina put in, glancing at Iruka. “Is that possible?”

“I don't see why not,” Kakashi responded before Iruka could even open his mouth. “We've speculated that I have my memories – albeit with quite a few holes – because my chakra was used to power the spell, making me the 'eye of the storm'. That idea could equally apply to anyone who was present when the spell was cast.”

Kushina appeared to give that some serious thought before pointing at Kakashi. “We'll get back to that. Is there anything else we should know?” she asked, gaze squarely on Iruka.

He shrugged. “Just one other thing, and I don't know how significant it is, if at all.” He took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Shinkou told me there was one other thing – well, one other word, really - that she remembered the cult leaders mentioning quite a bit: naruto. She didn't know what it referred to, though.”

“It's a waterway in Wave Country, isn't it?” Genma put in, glancing from Iruka to Kushina and back again. “A strait between two islands.”

Yamato nodded. “I've heard of it. The water runs incredibly fast at high tide, and a current moves in the opposite direction from the lee side of one of the islands, making a whirlpool. Sometimes “naruto” is used as a synonym for whirlpool.”

“And fishcakes with that spiral pattern,” Rin added.

“I love those in my ramen!” Kushina exclaimed with a grin.

Iruka laughed. “As fascinating as all of this is I don't think it's the point. Shinkou said she thought it was someone's name from the way it was used.” He looked around at the suddenly silent team. “Any thoughts on that?”

Heads were shaken and confused looks exchanged. Kakashi refused to meet anyone's eyes, which Iruka found a little suspicious. _I can deal with that later, in private_ , he told himself, just as Kushina laughed. She shook her head. “It's nothing, really.” She laughed again. “I just can't believe that someone other than Jiraiya-sensei would think of such a thing.” Everyone looked at her, now thoroughly confused. Except, again, Kakashi, still staring at the ground as if it held all the secrets of the universe. “Naruto is the name of the lead character in one of his books,” she explained with a grin. “His first book. The really good one. The one that isn't porn.”

“Jiraiya-sama wrote something other than porn?” Genma asked, smile clear in his voice.

Kushina nodded, still grinning. “Uh huh. And he told me years ago that if I ever gave birth to a son I needed to name him Naruto.” Her smile softened with a hint of sadness. “Just before he died I promised him I would do exactly that.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

It was a subdued group that sat around the campfire that evening. Iruka couldn't be sure but he thought it was the mentions of Jiraiya-sama that had everyone a little down. Of course in Genma's case it was just as likely to be a bad case of the sulks because his opinion about Shinkou had been rather rudely dismissed. But the older jounin seemed to have gotten over that, even going so far as to attempt to draw the girl into their conversation, although with minimal success. Rin seemed to be doing better at that, so once he felt that Shinkou was at least marginally comfortable around the rest of the team Iruka got to his feet and walked off into the gathering twilight, following where he had seen Kakashi disappear to immediately after eating dinner.

He found the other man perched on a branch of one of the few real trees that grew in that part of Earth Country. He was facing west, and the rich golden light of the setting sun warmed his face and his pale hair. Iruka stood quietly for a moment, simply appreciating the view, before giving a small cough to announce his presence.

“Is there room for two on that branch?” Iruka asked as soon as he had Kakashi's attention. The other man shrugged and shifted a little further towards the end of the limb, watching as Iruka walked up the trunk and settled beside him. He didn't speak, sensing that there was something on Kakashi's mind, and confident that sooner or later the older man would share it with him.

Kakashi coughed. “Iruka.”

“Hmmm?”

“How did Jiraiya-sensei die?”

Iruka was surprised and tried not to show it. The significance of the question was not lost on him, and he was worried that holes were starting to develop in Kakashi's memory of his life in this reality. The jounin must have sensed his unease, because he reached out with one hand to entwine their fingers together. “Stop worrying,” Kakashi softly said. “This isn't some sort of new development; there have been holes in my memory from the moment I first woke up in the hospital. This one just seems to be a bit larger than some of the others.” He glanced at Iruka out of the corner of his eye. “So tell me, please. How did he die?”

“A stupid accident,” Iruka replied in a whisper. He blinked back tears, taking a moment to tighten his ponytail. “There was a gas leak in an old apartment building; he was trapped in the rubble when it exploded. By the time the rescue crew dug him out it was too late for the medics to heal him. He died about two hours later.” He laughed harshly and pinched the bridge of his nose. “He was in that part of the village because he wanted a ragged, run down atmosphere for his next book. Research, he said.” Another breath huffed out of him and he sniffed loudly. “Like I said. Stupid accident.”

Kakashi looked oddly relieved when Iruka finished the story, enough to make the tokujo wonder what had happened to Jiraiya in that other reality, but he put it out of his mind. “So, are you ready to tell me why you had such an odd reaction to that name Shinkou mentioned earlier today? Naruto?”

“Not really, no.” Iruka scowled and Kakashi laughed, tightening the hold he had on the other's hand. “It's not something I _can_ tell you, 'ruka. Not without spilling a whole lot of other beans that are best left alone.” When Iruka nodded his understanding Kakashi went on. “But I was hoping you could tell me something about Genma's genin team. I know Minato-sensei's son is one of the three, but who are the other two?”

For a minute it looked like Iruka wouldn't answer, that he'd bombard Kakashi with questions about why he wanted to know instead. But something in the other man's face must have given some clue away because he held off. “There's Fugaku-san's younger son -”

“Sasuke,” Kakashi whispered, sounding almost regretful.

Iruka nodded. “And a young kunoichi, who's name I can never seem to remember. I know she was at the top of her Academy class, though, and that pink hair is kind of hard to miss -

Kakashi's laugh interrupted the flow of words. “Sakura!” he exclaimed, an unmistakable joy audible in his voice. “Thank the gods,” he whispered. “She's still the same.”

Iruka stared sidelong at his companion for a long moment, but didn't ask for any sort of explanation. “Anyway,” he started speaking again. “The three of them are regarded as one of the best genin squads right now. A lot of people were surprised when Genma declined to put them forward for the chuunin exam.”

Kakashi was still smiling, eyes fixed on the last of the sunlight visible on the horizon, but when Iruka's last words sank in his face paled and he turned back to the other man. “The exams?” he asked. “The exams we just proctored?” His brow furrowed. “How old are they, Iruka?”

“Well, they graduated from the Academy just about eight months ago, so. . . I don't know. Twelve? Maybe thirteen? Why?”

Kakashi shook his head, not in negation but as if trying to clear the fuzziness from his mind. “They're sixteen,” he muttered, scrubbing one hand down his face. “They were sixteen. . .”

And Iruka watched helplessly as Kakashi's visible eye rolled back in his head and he slid off the branch, falling to the hard-packed ground below.

****~**~**~**~**~****

“He”ll be fine, Iruka. Rin's the best; she'll have him patched up in no time.” Kushina's words did very little to loosen the hard knot of dread in Iruka's heart, but he nodded in response anyway. “Do you want to tell me again what happened?” she asked, carefully watching his face.

Iruka told the whole thing one more time, making sure to stick with a bare recitation of the facts. Kushina's face was thoughtful through it all, but the corners of her mouth were pinched tight, a sign of her anger and discomfort.

“And he definitely said sixteen?” she asked, not for the first time. “That they were sixteen?”

“Yes,” Iruka wearily replied. “I'm assuming he knew Genma's genin team in his other life, but -”

“He knows them at a different age,” Kushina concluded for him. “Older than they are as we know them. So either they were born earlier in the other reality. . .”

Iruka nodded. “Or the spell somehow shifted the timeline back a few years.” He rubbed the scar on his nose. “I should have guessed when he seemed surprised at how young I was. I thought it was just because it meant I was still a teenager when I uncovered the Yondaime's wife's spying, but now I'm not so sure.”

“So the only question remaining is is this an intended, or unintended, consequence of the spell?”

“I think I can answer that.” Yamato's voice came out of the darkness. He stepped forward, bowing to the pair of them before continuing. “This was not intended. Nothing in the book of spells I had read indicated that such a. . .” He searched for the right term. “. . . side effect was likely to occur.” He sucked in a breath. “I believe this may be a sign that when the spell was cast it became, for some reason, unusually unstable right from the beginning.”

“Which means the problems and instability that we speculated would grow the longer it was active are already a part of the equation.” Kushina sighed and rubbed her forehead, pulling off her hitai-ate as she did.

“And that means we also have less time they expected to fix this,” Iruka added, sounding grim. He glanced at Yamato. “What do you think could have caused this?” he asked.

The teacher grimaced. “I'm hardly an expert -”

“Yeah well, the 'expert' is over a day's travel behind us,” Kushina groused. “So take your best damned guess, sensei.”

Yamato worried his lower lip with his teeth for a long moment. “If there was something, or someone, that Hatake-san was able to hold tightly to his emotional center at the moment the spell took effect that might account for this. Such powerful emotions could have caused his chakra to fluctuate just the tiniest bit, but that would be enough.

Kushina regarded Iruka out of the corner of her eye. “Something. Or someone,” she said, musingly.

Iruka, wisely, did not respond.


	14. Chapter 14

The next two days on the road passed without incident or injury, unless you counted the moment that Kushina startled Genma, causing him to stab his lip with his senbon. Every time they stopped to rest or for a meal Iruka sat with Shinkou, teaching her the rudiments of chakra control. As a way to connect her to her land and village he had her balancing flat stones on her fingertips, using chakra to make them stick. It was a version of the traditional leaf-on-the-forehead method that had been used in Konoha for generations and Shinkou responded well to it, learning at a rapid pace.

“Normally I'd suggest moving on to tree walking,” Yamato replied when Iruka consulted him at the end of the second day. “Or, in this area, cliff climbing. But I think it might be a good idea to discover her elemental affinity.” He pulled a few slips of chakra paper out of his pouch. “If it comes to a fight it'll be more beneficial if she knows some jutsu.”

“And luckily between the six of us we have all the elements covered,” Iruka added with a nod. “Okay, sounds like a plan.” He took the slips of paper, holding one between the first two fingers of his right hand. After a moment of concentration the paper burst into flames and the ashes floated away. He grinned at Yamato. “Just testing to make sure the paper is still reactive,” he said before calling Shinkou over.

She moved closer a little diffidently, clearly not comfortable around all the members of the team. But when Genma stood up so she could sit between Iruka and Rin her smile was so pleased and grateful that it immediately made everyone more at ease. Iruka smiled to himself; Shinkou was clearly growing more comfortable with the situation and the people. He only hoped that she wouldn't turn out to be working against them.

He was yanked back to the present situation when Genma elbowed him in the ribs. Yamato was just finishing the explanation of chakra paper and how it was used to gauge a shinobi's elemental affinity. “In a regular situation you wouldn't be doing this until you had a couple of years of general training under your belt,” he said. “But since this is far from a regular situation. . .” His voice trailed of and he glanced at Kushina.

“No objections from me, sensei,” she said. “I agree that this is the next logical step in her training.” She stood up and came around the fire, plucking two pieces of paper out of Iruka's hand. She handed one to Shinkou and held the other loosely between her index and middle fingers. “Like this,” she told the girl, who copied the mission captain exactly. “Relax your body and your mind, and let your chakra flow out your fingers and through the paper.” There was a moment of silence and then the paper in Kushina's hand was soaked with water, falling apart and out of her grip.

Shinkou gaped in surprise, then focused all of her attention on the paper she held. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath; even the fire was stilled. Then the paper she was holding pulled tight and wrinkled around her fingers as they held it. She looked up at Kushina. “What does this mean?”

Iruka reached over and took the slip of paper from her. “It means your affinity is for lightning, which makes you a rarity in Earth Country.” He glanced toward where Kakashi and Genma were sitting side by side. “It also means that the two of them will be taking over most of your training from this point.”

Genma looked like he was about to scowl and opened his mouth, probably to spout a furious denial.

“I'll do it.” Kakashi beat him out by the barest margin. When everyone looked at him he simply shrugged. “I'm not in command of this mission, and really have no purpose until we – hopefully – catch up with this cult, so it's not like my skills are being stretched.” He glanced at Shinkou and smiled. “If you don't mind my company, of course.”

She looked a little uncertain, but then she nodded once, a tentative smile curling one corner of her mouth.

****~**~**~**~**~****

“Again.”

Shinkou was on her hands and knees, head hanging, breath coming in heavy, labored gasps. “I. . . I take it back.”

“Hmmm?”

She raised her head and met the lone grey eye of the man standing beside her. “I _do_ mind your company.”

Kakashi was silent for a long moment, looking faintly shocked. Then he laughed, the sound rich as it rang out. Shinkou giggled as well, suddenly seeming much more like the sixteen year old girl she was. She even managed to rise to her feet again, bringing her hands together for the first seal of a common lightning jutsu.

“They're good for each other.”

Genma's comment made Iruka start and nearly drop what was left of his ration bar. It was just after noon, the hottest part of the day, and Kushina had ordered a couple of hours rest. “Just till it starts to cool off,” she had said. They had settled down in what little shade they could find; Rin had fallen asleep fairly quickly and Kakashi had decided to step up Shinkou's training. Iruka sat with his back against the rocky plinth providing the shade and watched. “Changing your tune on our unexpected team member, Shiranui-san?” he asked, a hint of laughter coloring his voice.

“Maybe,” Genma replied with a frown. “Look, I know -”

Iruka held up a hand. “You don't have to repeat yourself,” he said, keeping his voice low. “Neither Kushina nor I have forgotten the reality of the situation.” He turned his head to look up at his companion. “But the fact remains that until she gives us a reason to do otherwise it's in our best interest to trust her.”

“I know, I know. Just can't shake this feeling, though.”

“That feeling has nothing to do with Shinkou, and you know it,” Iruka lectured. “It's your dislike of Orochimaru making you think that way. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Genma's shoulders drooped and he sat down beside Iruka. “How can you not be the same?” he asked, disgruntled. “How can all of you be so accepting?”

“Accepting doesn't mean stupid, you know.” The tokujo nudged his friend with one shoulder. “We're all aware that we could be betrayed, but as Kakashi is very fond of reminding us sometimes it's worth the risk if it gets you that much closer to your goal AHHHHHHH!”

The shout was completely involuntary as both he and Genma dove to opposite sides, avoiding the lightning that had come streaking in their direction.

“Oh my GOD! I am so sorry!” Shinkou dropped to her knees beside Genma, clasping his elbow and helping him sit back up. “I don't. . . I'm not sure. . .” She covered her face with her hands. “I am so, so sorry.”

Genma's mouth was twitching as it always did when he was trying not to smile. He rose to his feet, dusting off the front of his shirt. “No harm done,” he said, before glaring at Kakashi, still standing some distance away. “Couldn't be bothered to teach her some control, could you Hatake?” He smiled down at the girl. “Guess that part is up to me.” He laid a hand on her shoulder and steered her in a different direction. “Come with me, Shin-chan, and we'll get that jutsu sorted out in no time.”

They walked off, Shinkou still stammering out apologies. Iruka's grin was wide when Kakashi moved to stand next to him, close enough that their hands brushed. “You did that on purpose,” he accused, twining their fingers together and leaning against the taller man.

“Maybe,” was Kakashi's laconic reply. When Iruka shot him a look with one eyebrow raised her smiled. “Okay, yes, I did. Figured it was a sure fire way to break the ice between them, especially if it gave Genma an opportunity to one up me.

“Kushina will be thankful; the silent treatment was getting a little old.” He sat back down, trying not to look too pleased when Kakashi joined him, sitting close enough that their legs rubbed whenever one of them shifted. “I'm glad you're feeling better,” Iruka said softly. “You really scared me with that fall. Not so much the injuries caused by it, but the fainting that precipitated it.”

Kakashi made a noise in his throat that seemed to be agreement but didn't speak. Iruka glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “I suppose you've already figured out the latest problem,” he commented, watching as the older man turned his head so he could look directly at the brunette.

“The time-lag, you mean?” When Iruka nodded Kakashi continued. “It wasn't hard to make the logical leap. But I'm not so sure about what it might mean.”

“Trouble, more than likely,” Iruka replied with a rueful grin. “Yamato, Kushina, and I. . . well, we discussed it and we think it's a sign that the spell was unstable from the get-go. Not sure why, exactly, but Yamato thought that maybe you. . . you know. . . might have had something or someone on your mind when things -”

“I was thinking of you.”

Iruka's rambling explanation ground to a halt at Kakashi's softly spoken words. The older man leaned close until their foreheads touched. “I was thinking of you,” he repeated, voice a bare whisper and warm breath caressing Iruka's face. “You were there in those last moments before I blacked out. Your touch, your voice, anchored me. You were the only reality I had – the only reality I needed.”

Iruka sucked in a breath. “Kakashi, you can't be telling me this! We agreed; too much knowledge of that other reality could be dangerous! And. . . And that wasn't me, you know it wasn't.” There was a tugging sensation at the back of his head and he felt his hair fall free, then Kakashi's fingers were pushing through it, hands cradling Iruka's face. “ 'kashi,” he breathed.

“I'm sick of not talking about this,” he ground out. “I'm sick of you not knowing just how much you mean to me. You say it wasn't you; I'm telling you it was. It is. You are my every reality, Iruka.” Then their lips were meeting, soft and gentle, a stark contrast to the forceful words that had been spoken.

Iruka swayed into the press of Kakashi's lips on his, feeling a hitch in his breath when a warm tongue lapped at his upper lip. With a soft moan he opened his mouth, slipping his own tongue out to entice the other inside. Kakashi's hair was soft against his hands and a pair of warm hands splayed across his back, pulling him closer so that he was all but sitting in the jounin's lap, the press of bodies and arousal all too evident.

_You will always be stronger together than you could ever be apart._

The words echoed in Iruka's head and for a brief moment he thought it was his imagination, but then he felt the warmth, almost to burning, around his heart that had accompanied the strange vision he had had several nights before. He pulled away from Kakashi with a gasp, surprised to see the same confusion and uncertainty in the older man's visible eye. “Did -” He swallowed hard, pressing one hand against his chest. “Did you hear that?”

Kakashi nodded, lifting Iruka up so they could both rise to their feet. He grabbed the tokujo's hand and tugged him along, heading towards where the others were resting. “Come on,” he said forcefully. “I'm done with all of this dancing around the subject and keeping secrets.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

“No.” Kushina's voice was flat, unemotional, and final.

Rin looked from Kakashi's stricken face to their mission captain's implacable one. “Sensei,” she began, but Genma reached out and laid a hand on her arm, halting the words. He shook his head once, the movement barely susceptible, but Rin subsided, leaning against the rock at her back.

Iruka looked around, noticing how Yamato carefully kept his eyes averted and Shinkou seemed to be trying to make herself as small as possible. No one, it seemed, wanted to get mixed up in what had the makings of a epic showdown between the team's two most powerful jounin. And if he admitted it to himself he was eager to stay out of it as well.

But Kakashi was as stubborn as they came, and Kushina was likewise no slouch in that department. They glared at each other across the small open space they were all sitting in; Iruka was noticeably surprised when Kakashi broke first.

“Why not?”

Kushina made a scoffing sound at the back of her throat. “You can't be seriously asking that,” she said. Then she laughed. “Although knowing you I imagine you are, so I'll answer as seriously as I can.” She took a deep breath. “We already have one documented problem with this ridiculous spell. If you tell us anything – and I mean ANYthing – about the reality that you remember it could make the situation worse. And that is something that I am very interested in avoiding.” She glanced at Iruka, who tried to school his face into innocent disinterest, but her mind was quicker than that. “ _Shit_ ,” she ground out. “You already know something, don't you?”

Iruka was silent for a few minutes, not because he was considering a denial but because he was wondering how best to answer her question. And Kushina looked to be on the verge of exploding when he finally did. “I do, yes. But it's something personal between Kakashi and I -” He smiled faintly. “- and something that is also true here in our reality, if in a slightly different way.”

She huffed an angry breath. “And I simply have to take your word for it?” she asked.

“I'd like it if you did, Uzumaki-taichou.” He felt heat rising to his cheeks and made sure to hold Kushina's gaze.

“Personal, huh?” she finally grunted, then laughed. “I can guess, anyway.” He gaze moved from Iruka to Kakashi, who was also flushing, then she turned to Yamato. “Sensei, what do you think?”

He started at the question. “Ummm, if it's a personal matter between the two of them I can't imagine it having a greater impact. Unless their relationship has some massive, global significance I think we can leave this issue alone. At least until something else happens.”

“You think something definitely will?” Genma asked, speaking for the first time.

Yamato nodded. “It's not a question of if, but when. We know that the spell was unstable from the moment it was cast, so ripple effects are bound to keep cropping up.”

Iruka took a deep breath. “Speaking of. . .” Everyone turned to look at him, and he faltered for a moment. “Uh, I may have had a. . . you know. . . sort of vision a few night ago. The night before we met with Orochimaru, in fact, and I was wondering. . .” His voice trailed off in embarrassment at the incredulous expressions on his companion's faces.

“What kind of vision, Iruka?” Rin finally asked. “Like the ones Kakashi has of his memories?”

He shook his head. “No, it was. . .” he took a deep breath and then described everything he remembered of the vision, including the burning pain, like a fire, that had enveloped his heart. As he talked he noticed a couple of things: Kakashi was no longer looking at him and everyone else seemed to be torn between laughter and a sick sort of fascination. He was blushing hotly when he finished. “It's ridiculous, I know.”

“This woman,” Yamato spoke, looking intensely interested all of a sudden. “What did she look like?”

Iruka thought back to the vision, to the moment when he had first spied the woman. “Beautiful,” he whispered. “So beautiful. Tall, lithe, strong. She had hair somewhere between red and orange, like flames, and brilliant turquoise blue eyes.”

“Was her hair long? Like down to her knees long?” When Iruka nodded Yamato smiled, then started to laugh. “I think we might have just caught a break!”

Kushina looked confused, her eyes jumping between the teacher and the tokujo. “Explain, sensei.”

“Well, if we're accepting everything else about the Five Guardians mythology as true then I think it has to include the physical appearances of all of them,” he said. “Which means that Iruka had a vision of Fotia, the Guardian of Fire.”

“Okay, accepting the truth of that for a moment how, exactly, does that equate to us catching a break?” Genma asked.

“Simply put, Shiranui-san, the legends say that the Guardian's only appear to those that they have chosen.”

“Chosen for what?” Iruka asked, voice shaking.

“Chosen as their warriors and protectors,” Yamato replied. “And it is also believed that only those with a deep connection to the elements have any chance of being chosen.”

“Iruka is the only one of us who's elemental affinity is fire,” Kushina put in, following Yamato's reasoning. “But even given all of that -”

She said _Mine_ ,” Iruka interrupted. “It was the only word she spoke, and right after that -”

“She branded your heart,” Yamato said. “She marked you as hers.” He turned to Kushina. “I think this might just mean that the Guardians want us to fix this; they _need_ us to restore the balance.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” Genma shrugged when all eyes turned to him. “I'm not trying to be a complete downer, but I think it's a little premature to assume that the Guardians are on our side, based on a visitation from one of the five.” He twisted his lips in a wry smile. “Now, if five of us each had visions of a different Guardian I might think this is a plausible explanation, but as things stand I'm not so sure.”

“I am.” Kakashi's quiet voice fell into the silence left by Genma's pronouncement. When he felt everyone's attention on him he looked up, but had eyes for only Iruka.

“Kakashi, was this like the others?” Iruka asked.

He shook his head. “No, we didn't share this vision. I had one of my own, of the same woman. And she marked me in the same way.” He didn't share the words she had spoken: _You are mine, as is he. Do not fail me.,_ but they echoed in his head.

Rin looked confused. “Okay, but that doesn't make any sense,” she said. “Your elemental affinity is lightning. Why would you be marked by the Guardian of Fire?”

“Maybe it isn't about affinities, despite that being kind of obvious in Iruka's case. Maybe the connection is somewhere else,” Yamato mused. “Somewhere deeper.”

“I think I can explain it, at least in my case,” Kakashi said, glancing at Kushina. “I was visited, and marked, by the Guardian of Fire because of my connection to Iruka. A connection strong enough to span at least two realities.” Iruka blushed and dropped his gaze. “And while an elemental affinity is what makes his connection obvious the reason why he was the first to have such a vision is much more important than that.” He took a deep breath, knowing that what he was about to reveal could blow a hole in everything. “Iruka is the axis around which this entire mess revolves, and not just because he was in my thoughts the moment the spell was cast. It's because he has an intimate connection to the one thing this cult wanted changed about the world.”

“The 'Child of All Mankind' that the prophecy spoke of!” Rin put in, excitedly connecting the dots.

Kakashi nodded. “Iruka is the most important person to that child.” He met Kushina's puzzled expression. “The most important person to your son,” he told her. “Yours and Minato's.”

Kushina's face blanched and she swayed where she stood. One hand dropped down, placed protectively over her lower abdomen. “How did you know?” she whispered.


	15. Chapter 15

“Okay, for the record? You,” Iruka pointed at Kushina “are never again allowed to berate me for getting personally involved on the job. Ever.”

That comment broke the icy and uncomfortable silence that fell after Kushina's involuntary admission and soon everyone was speaking at the same time, words tumbling over more words into an impressive, if ear-splitting, cacophony. The only one who didn't seem to know how to react was Shinkou, who sat like a statute, only her eyes moving as they jumped from one face to another. Kushina look rather like a bear caught in a trap; frightened, but ready to lash out at any moment.

The whistle that rent the air brought all the talking to a halt, except for a few cries of pain. Yamato glared at Genma. “Leaned that from Yamanaka-san, did you?”

Genma grinned and shrugged. “The man is good for some things.” Then he glanced around at all the members of the team, Kushina last. “I think we're justified in asking a few questions, taichou, so I'll start. Why are you even on this mission?”

“If I told you it was simply because Iruka requested me would that be enough?”

“Not in the least.”

Kushina sighed. “Yeah, I figured as much. It's actually kind of a funny story. . . Well, it would be funny if it wasn't scaring the crap out of me.” She took a deep breath. “I've been having visions too.”

“Since when?” Iruka asked, an undeniable edge to his voice.

“Since the day we first started working together on this,” was the reply. Iruka opened his mouth with every intention of blistering Kushina's ears for not having said anything when she held up a hand. “Before you start in on me you should know that I didn't realize what was happening at first. I thought they were just memories.”

“What were you seeing?” was Kakashi's quiet inquiry.

Kushina shrugged. “Mostly you and Rin when you were younger. The strange thing is we didn't seem to be running missions together. Minato was with the two of you most of the time, and -” She cut off her own words, looking slightly embarrassed.

“And Obito,” Kakashi put in with a smile. “You can say his name, you know. It won't kill me to hear it.”

She nodded before continuing. “He was with all of you, just like old times. But then he wasn't in any more of the visions, and there was nothing after Minato became Hokage. Nothing of any of the time I spent as your team leader.”

Rin seemed to be in agreement that that was rather odd, but Kakashi just nodded as if he had been expecting that. It was one more thing that Iruka made a mental note to ask the older man about, but now wasn't the time. He wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on with Kushina. When he focused on her he could feel her uncertainty and tentativeness. It was clear that she had not wanted to have this conversation, and that to a degree she resented being pushed into it, but also that she was determined to have it all out in the open now that she didn't have a choice.

“What wasn't like a memory?” he finally asked when he felt her emotions level off into calmness.

Kushina laughed. “I almost had myself convinced that this part was my imagination, but hearing you and Kakashi talk about it, well. . .” She sighed and gave her head a shake. “I had a vision last night. A vision of a beautiful woman. She reached out to me, and I felt this. . . pressure, like when you hold your breath underwater. She marked me as hers, just as you and Kakashi were marked.”

“What did she look like?” Yamato whispered.

“Dark hair, long. And wavy. With lighter streaks running all through it.” Kushina's eyes drifted closed as she worked to recall details. “Dark skin and slate blue eyes.” She opened her eyes and glanced at Yamato. “I'm guessing Nero, the Guardian of Water. Am I right?” When he nodded she laughed. “Score another one for elemental affinity, then. Although - ” She caught herself and started to blink back tears. “I suppose we can also count my clan's old connection to the Land of Whirlpools.”

There was a long, drawn-out silence amongst all of them before everyone's eyes made their way to Genma, the resident skeptic. He just grinned. “What? I've been proven wrong before.”

Rin patted his arm. “Yes dear, we know.” Then she sighed hard enough to flutter the hair around her face. “So at some point we can expect the other three to appear, right?”

“I'd bet money on it,” Yamato replied with a firm nod. “The only question is who will they appear to.”

“No, there is one other, and it goes back to the original topic,” Rin added, turning to look directly at Kushina. “How could Minato-sensei have assigned you to this -” Her breath caught on an audible gasp when Kushina turned red and dropped her gaze. “He doesn't know, does he? You haven't told him that you're pregnant.”

“I didn't really have a chance!” Kushina exclaimed, defensive. “I only learned for sure the day before he assigned me to help Iruka with his investigation, and everything just sort of snowballed from there.” She rubbed her forehead with one hand. “I almost told him the day before we left Konoha, but. . .” She sighed hard enough to ruffle her hair. “This mission is too important, he told me, to leave it in the hands of someone who doesn't know the story already. And I couldn't argue that point.”

“But you could have endangered your child!” Rin cried out. “Yours, and Minato-sensei's!”

“More importantly the Yondaime's child,” Yamato put in softly. “And outside the protection of Konoha's walls you're a tempting target.”

“How? It's not like my being pregnant is generally known!”

Kakashi snorted. “With everything as messed up, crazy, and confused as it is we have no way of knowing what information our enemies might have. And all of this crap about spells and magic on top of it just reinforces that point. We can't take anything for granted. They could know more about us than we do.”

“They could also have someone in the same position as Kakashi,” Iruka added. “Someone who remembers that other reality and is aware of all the things that are different.”

“Okay, okay, I think we all need to slow the hell down,” Genma said, glancing around at all of his companions. “First of all, if anyone would be a target it would more likely be Minato's first born. And second Kakashi specifically said 'son'. Maybe we should confirm that Kushina is carrying a boy before we hit the panic button.” He looked to Rin. “Can you tell?”

She looked uncertain. “It depends. If she's less than ten weeks pregnant probably not. Even if she's further along than that I still won't be able to tell with anything more than. . . maybe sixty per cent certainty. Less, if the Nine-tails' chakra interferes in any way.”

They all stared at Kushina, who flushed the same shade of red as her hair. “Almost thirteen weeks,” she finally mumbled before laying on her back and opening her flak vest. “Just get it over with,” she commanded Rin.

Iruka nodded when Rin looked his way, so she hastily knelt beside Kushina and formed a quick series of hand seals. Then, with the thumbs and index fingers of both hands forming a triangle she focused her attention and her chakra on their mission captain, scanning the length of her body from her head, stopping at her lower abdomen. No one spoke or even moved as they waited. Rin's eyes drifted closed and her face scrunched up as she concentrated. There was a brief flare of chakra in the triangle made by her hands, and then she released the jutsu and fell to one side, breathing hard.

Genma was immediately beside her, lifting her so she could sit more naturally. He kept a supporting arm around her shoulder as she worked to get herself back under control. “It's a boy,” she finally managed to get out.

“Are you certain?” Iruka asked, reaching out a hand to help Kushina up.

“Surprisingly yes,” Rin laughed. “I've never felt such strong chakra – such a strong presence – from any fetus before.” She looked at Kushina with a smile. “You're going to have your hands full.”

Kakashi looked at Genma, visible eyebrow raised. “Ready to hit the panic button now, Shiranui?”

“More or less,” was the strangely calm reply.

****~**~**~**~**~****

Two days later they were close to what Shinkou said was the cult's territory, a rugged, inhospitable stretch of land that most shinobi would not have gone near on a dare. There were no tress of bushes, no plant life to break up the the monotony of red stone and earth. Water was increasingly scarce, and what they managed to find had an unpleasant, almost sulfurous smell.

“Why would anybody want to live in such a desolate hellhole?” Genma asked as they were setting up camp in a cave one evening.

“They don't live in this area,” Shinkou replied. “But this is the center of their power, where they conduct particularly important rituals and ceremonies. Their legends say this is where the Divine Tree was first grown, and it was here that Kaguya settled after she stole its power.” Her face looked troubled. “It was near here that my parents died.”

Kakashi was standing in the cave's entrance, and a casual observer might have thought he was indifferent to the conversation. But Iruka knew better; every word had been heard, absorbed, and digested. Since the revelation of Kushina's pregnancy Kakashi had taken more of a command role on the mission, despite Iruka being the official second-in-command. It was a responsibility that the tokujo was happy to relinquish, and one that the jounin was eminently suited to assume.

Now he turned back to the interior of the cave. “Can you sense anything that might give us a hint?” he asked, taking in Kushina and Iruka with one glance. “We need more specific information, otherwise we'd be going in blind, and I don't like that idea.

Iruka didn't either, but he couldn't sense much that would be of help. “There are some isolated pockets of strong chakra not connected to any individuals,” he replied, closing his eyes as he focused. “Most of them to the west. The closest one is only about two miles away.” His eyes snapped open and he shut down his senses. “Close enough to sense us if they have someone looking.”

“Which they probably do,” Kushina put in. “If they have someone who is aware of all of the changes in realities they'd be foolish to not expect we'd come looking, and even more so to not be prepared.” She took a deep breath and glanced around their circle, meeting everyone's eyes. “We have to tread extremely carefully from this point on, especially you, Kakashi. You're the linchpin in all of this, and I suspect they know it as well as we do. I'd like to order you to stand down, but if it comes down to a fight we'll need you too much.”

Shinkou sucked in a breath. “Will. . . Will it come down to a fight?” she asked.

Iruka gave her his most reassuring smile. “Maybe. That's why we've been teaching you, so at the very least you'll be able to defend yourself.”

“You can help us ahead of time, though,” Yamato added in his gentle voice. “I know you've given us a lot of information about the cult and its suspected purpose, but you can do more. Anything you know about the people we might encounter would be valuable to us.”

Her head bowed as she shook it. “I've told you everything -” Her voice cut off and she looked up with a grin and a nod to Yamato. “I understand. It's different now because of what you've taught me. You want to know if I ever saw any signs of chakra, or jutsu, from any of them.” She thought for an extended moment, but no one wanted to rush her. “There was one,” she finally spoke, voice hesitant. “The old woman that everyone regarded as the leader. She was the one who killed my parents with that ritual, and at the time I believed that it was some sort of magic power, as she claimed. But looking back I bet it was chakra.”

Kushina and Kakashi exchanged a glance. “What happened in the ritual, exactly?” he asked.

“As best you can remember, Shinkou,” Iruka added, glaring at Kakashi. “Nobody's going to force you to remember the pain of your parents' death.”

The young girl closed her eyes. “There was a chant, in some language that I couldn't understand. My parents -” her voice caught on a soft sob “ - they were both laying on flat slabs of rock. They were restrained somehow, I'm not sure how. More people – more voices – joined the chanting, and it got so loud. There was wind; it started out gentle but picked up speed and started spinning, like a tornado. I couldn't hear anything else once it reached that point, and then there was a flash of light, blinding white light, and I think I passed out.” Her eyes were filled with tears. “When I woke up my parents were dead and I was alone in the cave with their bodies. It was two days before Iwa shinobi found me while on patrol.”

There was absolute silence when she concluded the story before Rin moved to take the girl in her arms. Shinkou sobbed against the older woman's shoulder while the others exchanged glances.

“Wind affinity?” Genma asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“Or a side effect of the spell,” Yamato replied, just as quietly. “But either way I think it's proof that the ritual was fueled by the chakra it drained from Shinkou's parents.”

“There was wind.” Everyone turned to look at Kakashi, even Rin. “I remember the chanting, and the whirlwind, but that's it.”

“What about injuries?” Rin put in, still holding Shinkou and stroking the girl's hair. “You were injured when you were brought back from your mission in this reality, so maybe you were in the other as well.” She shrugged when everyone looked at her. “It'd be another thing tethering the two worlds together.”

“And possibly another factor in disrupting the spell,” Yamato added.

Kakashi had to think for a minute. “I'm not sure,” he finally said. “It's possible, I suppose. There was -”

_. . ._ _if you could brace his elbow I'll stabilize his ankle enough so that we can move him._ The female voice sounded in his head, suddenly loud and familiar, and he knew. “I was injured. My elbow and ankle.”

“You had a torn Achilles Tendon before,” Iruka reminded him, voice quiet. “That's one of the reason's Tsunade assigned me to look after you.”

“Which explains how these cultists were able to get their hands on you in the first place,” Kushina commented. “Although I suppose it's possible you were injured in a fight with them, but if you were already in less than peak condition when they came after you it made their job easier.”

Kakashi acknowledged that with a wry smile. “I wish I could remember more of all of this,” he said. “At least then we'd know if I was attacked while still in Grass Country and brought here, or if I was diverted to this area somehow.”

“Diverted, or lured?” Rin asked, face scrunched up in worry.

And if lured what's to say that the same thing wasn't happening now?

****~**~**~**~**~****

If they had been scattered in a normal campsite no one would have noticed, but the close confines of the cave made it impossible to ignore. The soft, distressed sounds that Genma was making brought all of them awake. Iruka could feel waves of anger, confusion, and consternation flowing from his friend, and he instinctively reached out with his chakra in an attempt to calm the older man. He stopped, however, as soon as Kakashi laid a hand on his arm.

“Don't. It might disrupt whatever he's seeing.”

“You mean a vision?” Iruka asked, glancing down at Genma's twisted face. “Like the rest of us have had?”

Rin looked frightened, eyes wide as she watched the jounin toss against his bedroll. Sweat was visible on his face. “Do you think it's a vision?” she whispered. “It seems awfully violent, considering that you, Kushina, and Iruka all said there was a sense of peace in your visions.”

“Genma's been skeptical of all of this from the beginning,” Kushina put in. “He may be fighting against -”

“NO!” Genma shouted and shot upright, suddenly awake. His breathing was harsh and he scrubbed his face with his hands, leaning against Rin. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down before finally acknowledging the people around him. “That was not fun,” he said, voice scratchy with the remnants of sleep and whatever fear he had felt.

“Tell us,” Rin said, voice soft and comforting.

He laid back down before speaking. “It was weird, almost memories, like Kushina described. But I knew they weren't.” He grinned. “Well, some of them probably were, but I suppose of another life. Like Maito Gai; I don't think I've ever said more than three words to him before, but we seemed so close in the dream.”

“You were genin team mates.” Kakashi spoke so quietly that the words were almost missed. When Kushina glared at him he simply shrugged. “I'm tired of keeping secrets,” he said. “And I don't see what kind of harm something as small as that can do.”

Genma laughed. “I think I'm coming around to the point of view that nothing can do any harm. Not now when we're close to figuring this out and, hopefully, fixing it.” Then his expression sobered. “And before anybody brings it up yes, I had a vision of one of the Guardians. She had yellow-blonde hair with lighter, almost white, streaks at her temples. Amber eyes, like a cat, and a killer grin. Mischievous, you know? She seemed like someone I would get along with in real life.” He shook his head and smiled, a little ruefully, before catching Yamato's eye. “Based on my affinity I'm gonna say Astrapi, Guardian of Lightning.”

Yamato's return smile was sad. “You'd be wrong, though. Based on that description I'd say Anemos, Guardian of Wind.”

Genma jack-knifed back to a sitting position. “What?! How? I mean, it's ridiculous; I don't have even a hint of a whiff for wind affinity!”

They all turned when they heard Kakashi laugh. “Think about it, _Genma_. _Shiranui_ -san.”

A beat passed in utter silence before Iruka sucked in a breath. “I get it!” He looked at Genma. “Your name, idiot!”

“What about my – OH! The sky!”

Yamato nodded. “I think that's exactly why. A name was also a factor in Kushina's connection to the Water Guardian, and in your case it's both your family name and your first name. Twice as likely.”

“And now we have three Guardians having claimed their warriors,” Rin mused. “Somebody up there must really want this fixed.”

“Not just up there,” was Kakashi's muttered response.

The conversation continued the next morning, with much speculation about who would be marked by the remaining two Guardians. Everyone seemed in agreement that Yamato was likely to be the chosen warrior of the Earth Guardian; it was both his elemental affinity and an important component of the Wood Style. That left Rin to be viewed as the Lightning warrior, but no one could imagine what connected her to that element. The discussion got to a point where Rin finally called a halt, claiming it was all a little too embarrassing.

“Enough, already!” she exclaimed, burying her blushing face against Genma's shoulder. He just laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close against his side.

“I thought they just had sex together for stress relief,” Kakashi whispered to Iruka, who elbowed him in the ribs.

“That's what Genma told me, but I guess this mission is bringing them much closer.” He stared at the other man for a long moment. “Are you all right, Kakashi? You look a little. . .” he struggled to find the right word. “Tortured,” he finally finished, causing the silver-haired jounin to start.

The fact was “tortured” was the only way to describe how he was feeling as the conversation spiraled around him. He wanted very much to tell what he knew about a relationship Rin had with lightning, but that was one thing he felt he couldn't reveal. It was one thing to bring up small facts, like Genma's long friendship with Maito Gai, and even bigger facts like Kushina's son.

But telling Rin about how she had died in that other reality was the sort of thing that he could never bring up. Just thinking about it made his stomach churn, and he wasn't surprised that Iruka was picking up on that. And he was immensely relieved when the talk switched to the fact that Shinkou had a lightning affinity. That and she was a native of Earth Country, the legendary home of the first Divine Tree.

Finally Kushina called a halt to the entire discussion. “Until the last two Guardians make themselves known this conversation is pointless,” she commanded, shutting the entire topic down.

But Kakashi couldn't help but keep turning it around in his mind, along with his worries that maybe certain things were always destined to happen.


	16. Chapter 16

“So this isn't the right place either?”

Shinkou shook her head, gaze lowered so she wasn't looking at any of her companions. They had kept their camp set up in the cave and every day four of them left its protection and ranged out, searching for the place where they suspected the cult centered its activities. Most days Shinkou was one of the four, but on days that she needed to rest Iruka and Kushina would be a part of the investigation team, using their sensory abilities to find and follow strong traces of chakra.

And despite the risks of them being on the same plane Kakashi now made a point of always having at least three of the ninken with them. Sometimes the dogs did little more than guard the warded campsite, but that day they had gone out in the field, searching for any traces of their boss' chakra. They had followed a trail that day that led them to their current location.

“Are you sure?” Iruka asked Akino for the third time.

The dog sighed, and his eye roll was obvious, even with the sunglasses. “Positive, sensei,” he replied, being joined by nods from Urushi and Bisuke. “It's faint, but unmistakably the boss.”

Iruka then turned to Shinkou. “I know you think this isn't the place where your parents dies, but I trust the ninken. Are _you_ absolutely sure?”

The girl looked hesitant and unsure. “Not one hundred per cent,” she replied. “It doesn't feel right, but you should bring Kakashi-sensei here as well. He could probably make something more of it than me.”

Iruka just nodded in response, knowing the ninken had already made careful mental notes of the location so they could find their way back another day. He was focusing his own senses, imprinting the feel of the place in his own chakra when the world went black.

“ _Don't bother with that, handsome. We don't need you, just your chakra. And who we are is unimportant.”_

_The chanting, in a language he didn't recognize, continued and intensified. More voices joined in until it was loud enough to hurt his ears. He could feel his chakra moving, shifting away from him and into another sensation that tickled at his senses. A wind began to blow through the space, whirling as it grew more powerful. The entire situation was spiraling out of control._

_An explosion echoed through the chamber, followed by the sounds of a rockfall. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that rescue was at hand._

“ _You're too late, shinobi!” the woman in charge shouted. “It's done, and you'll never even know the difference!”_

“ _Probably not, but I know I'll feel better when you're dead!”_

The pain when he fell to his knees jolted Iruka out of the vision that had engulfed him. His loud and strained breathing echoed in the chamber, and he felt like his lungs were about to explode out of his chest. Through the mist in his head he heard a familiar voice.

“. . .ruka! Iruka!”

A warm hand landed on his back, between his shoulder blades. The touch anchored him to reality, and he was finally able to open his eyes. Yamato's worried face swam in his vision, and Iruka reached out and grabbed hold of the other man's hand, squeezing it so tight that Yamato grimaced.

“This is it,” he managed to gasp out, surprising all of his companions. Rin came forward to check him over but Iruka shrugged her off. “I'm fine, just shaken up.” He gestured to the ninken, who all came closer. “Go back to the camp and bring everyone else here.”

“Are you sure, Iruka?” Yamato asked, holding the tokujo's arm as he struggled to his feet. “Shinkou said -”

“And she was right,” Iruka interrupted with a glance at the girl. “This isn't the place where her parents died. But it's definitely the place where they used Kakashi to successfully cast the spell.” He walked closer to the nearest wall and laid a hand against it, concentrating his senses until he could filter all of the emotions and chakra that were embedded in the stone, smiling as soon as he connected with something that made warmth bloom around his heart. “And there are definitely traces of the Guardians here.”

“But. . .” Shinkou began, flushing red when everyone looked at her. “If we all gather here. . . I mean, won't there be a chance of the last two Guardians awakening? And wouldn't that lead the cult to us? They'll know we're here!”

Iruka smiled, not unkindly. “I hate to break it to everyone but they already know.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

“This was not one of your better ideas.”

Iruka scowled at the criticism in Kushina's comment. “Do you think I don't know that?” he hissed at her, hoping to keep this conversation private. “But maybe we need to risk everything on one throw if we have any hope of fixing this.”

Kushina's gaze shifted away from Iruka's and he knew she was studying Kakashi, who stood some distance away, discussing what they could do to make this cave more secure with Genma and the three ninken. “He's the most at risk, you do realize that, don't you?”

“And he's the most capable at defending himself,” Iruka shot back, voice rising a little in his agitation. “So on balance I think it'll work out.”

“Problem, guys?” Genma's voice, tinged with his usual sardonic laughter, broke through their little cocoon causing Kushina to start. She glared at him, violet eyes narrowed.

“Everything's fine, Genma,” Iruka spoke before Kushina could, forestalling what would probably have been an epic tongue lashing. Not that Genma didn't deserve that sort of thing on occasion, but right now simply wasn't the time. “Our captain is just a little concerned about the possible consequences of my. . . Well, it doesn't really qualify as a plan, does it?”

Kushina snorted, but it was Genma who replied. “Not really, no. But I understand what you're driving at, and I imagine all of us together in this spot makes a pretty tempting target. The only remaining question, I suppose, is what do we do when we get the attention we're trying so hard to attract?”

“We do what shinobi always do; we fight. We fight to complete our mission, to protect our home, and to protect our friends and comrades.” Kakashi's quiet, firm, commanding voice sliced through all of the tangled emotions, making Iruka smile at the comfort he drew from it.

“And in this case we're fighting for more. For two homes, and two sets of comrades.” he glanced at Shinkou. “New comrades as well,” he concluded, catching the embarrassed grin that crossed her face.

Hours later they all sat in the cave's entrance, watching a rather spectacular sunset. Akino, Urushi and Bisuke had all been sent home to rest, replaced by Guruko, Uhei, and the enormous Buru. Iruka noticed that Guruko had attached himself to Yamato, lying half-sprawled across the other man's lap and snuffling happily with each stroke to his ears, and he found himself wondering if the ninken naturally gravitated to whoever was their favorite in the reality they remembered. If so he imagined his other life must have been interesting, judging by the way Buru leaned against his back.

“He's always liked you, you know,” Kakashi whispered beside him, lips curving in a tiny smile. “Buru,” he continued when Iruka shot him a puzzled glance. “You've been his favorite from the moment the two of you met.”

Iruka laughed. “Well, that answers that question.” He looked down the line of the team. “And Uhei? Has he always been a fan of Rin's?”

Kakashi's face immediately changed, becoming closed, the light in his eye disappearing. “Yes,” he said, so softly Iruka almost didn't catch it. “He adored Rin.”

The verb tense didn't escape him, and Iruka turned his head and stared at the jounin's impassive profile. “Kakashi. . .” He swallowed against the inexplicable lump in his throat. “Is this. . . I mean. . . God!” He sighed and fiddled with the collar of his flak vest, trying to come up with the right words. “Please talk to me,” he finally whispered.

Kakashi surged to his feet. “Not here,” he gritted out between his teeth before striding away from the cave, down the hill to the valley below. With a hasty and apologetic look for Kushina Iruka followed him, aware of the ninken whining the further away their master got. Kakashi also seemed to notice, because he turned and walked backwards for a few paces, acknowledging the three with a smile of reassurance.

“They care about you a lot, you know.”

Kakashi's smile widened. “Well, we've been together a long time. It'd be hard to sustain that kind of working relationship without the personal trust and affection.” He turned his head to look directly at the man at his side. “They care for you as well.” Then he laughed outright. “They call you the Boss's Boss, and if the two of us are together they look to you for answers and orders. It's kind of frustrating, I have to admit.”

Iruka sighed. “Why are you telling me this, Kakashi?”

“Because I want you to know,” the other replied, stopping and taking hold of Iruka's hands. “If this doesn't work – if we don't succeed in fixing this – I want you to know about who we are in that other reality. I want you to understand exactly what you mean to me, what you will always mean to me, no matter where or when.”

He released the hands he had grasped and turned away. “I want you to know the insane circumstances under which we came together. I want to tell you about our first kiss and the first time you told me you loved me. But I can't tell you those things because I'd have to tell you other things, things that could actually have an impact on what we're trying to do here. So I guess I have to settle for mentioning how much the ninken love and respect you.” He snorted. “Kind of poor recompense, if you ask me.”

“There's a way you can repay me.” When Kakashi looked at him, eyebrow raised in a question, Iruka continued. “You can tell me what's been making you so nervous these last few days, especially with regard to Rin and Kushina.”

He expected anger, maybe even a few furious denials, or laughing the idea off. What he got was Kakashi frozen in place, like a statue, only his hair lifting and moving in the slight breeze. The glow of the sunset gave his pale skin a golden cast and his one eye was squinted against the light. He was still and silent for so long that Iruka was ready to throw his hands up in frustration and walk away. But when he did speak it was just one more unexpected thing.

“They're dead,” Kakashi whispered. He shook his head when Iruka opened his mouth to respond before continuing. “It's not just them, of course. There are others who are alive in this world but dead in mine. But it's wearing me down, knowing. I keep thinking about what will happen if we succeed and fix all of this, how they'll be gone again, and I'm not sure I have it in me to survive it all a second time. Especially. . .”

“Especially Rin,” Iruka finished for him, a wry smile twisting his lips at Kakashi's surprised start. “What? You think I didn't notice? Even without our relationship and my sensory skills it'd be kind of hard to miss. What I didn't understand is why. At least not until now.”

Harsh laughter greeted that statement. “You still don't understand why. Not really.” Kakashi took a deep breath and pushed one hand through his hair. “Rin's death. . . It was. . .” He exhaled shakily. “This is tougher than I thought. You want to understand why, right? You want to know why thinking and talking about Rin in regards to the lightning element has such an impact on me. Well -” He went through a quick series of hand signs and lightning started to spark in the palm of his right hand. “This is how Rin died. I killed her. She threw herself between me and the Mist nin I was aiming for. This -” He snapped his fingers and some of the lightning arced off into the night. “ - went right through her; her ribcage, her heart, her. . .”

Breath catching on a sob Kakashi clenched his fist as he dropped to his knees. The lightning in his hand melted away, leaving only spots in their eyes. Iruka was stunned for a long moment, unsure how to react. Then he sank down to the ground beside the other man, one hand gripping his shoulder tightly. Kakashi's breathing was harsh and labored, but not another sob escaped his throat.

“You didn't kill her.”

Kakashi picked his head up and glanced at Iruka, then started to laugh. “You've told me that before. And I know you're right, but having been the instrument of my best friend's death is not an easy thing to carry through life.” He took several deep breaths before leaning his head on Iruka's shoulder. “And now you know why the discussion of Rin and lightning left me feeling, in your word, tortured.”

Iruka nodded, lifting a hand to ruffle the pale hair near his face. “I think the references to Kumo that Shinkou remembers make a bit of sense now as well.”

The head on his shoulder shook in negation. “That's not it,” Kakashi said with a quiet chuckle. “But that might be one of those things that I shouldn't tell anyone.”

“You're worried about that now?” Iruka asked with a groan. “I think you probably crossed that bridge a while ago.”

“How so?”

“Maybe when you outed Kushina's pregnancy entirely by accident because you were thinking about the son she had in that other reality? Or telling Genma about his relationship with Gai-san?” Iruka laughed. “Although when I think about it it really probably began when you told me about the 'us' that you remember.” His amusement quickly faded, though, when he thought about what had been revealed just moments before. “But now. . .”

Kakashi lifted his head and met Iruka's gaze. “You're the only person I could tell that too, Iruka. The only person I trust with it.”

There were a limited number of response he could make to that, and none of them sounded halfway intelligent, so Iruka held his peace. They sat in silence after that, hands gravitating together and fingers entwining. The spectacular sunset colors faded as they watched, to be replaced by brilliant starshine. The temperature dropped as soon as the sun went down, but they just shifted to sit closer together, neither wanting to leave the comfortable bubble they found themselves in.

“Kakashi?” Iruka finally broke the long silence.

“Hmmm?”

“Tell me how we met.”

He didn't have to explain what, exactly, he meant. “We were assigned a mission together when you were eighteen. A mission that didn't go all that well, to be honest. You got injured, and I blamed myself, so I more or less kept an eye on you after that. From a respectful distance, of course.”

“Of course.” Iruka swallowed against the urge to giggle. “How did we come to be together?” Seeing Kakashi's pinched expression he hurried on. “You don't have to tell me the entire story; you did say that it might mean revealing things that are best left under wraps. Maybe just tell me the basic outline?”

Kakashi didn't respond for so long that Iruka was on the verge of apologizing and changing the subject when he noticed the tiny smile lifting the other man's lips. “It was an argument,” Kakashi finally said. “I was so used to people deferring to me, the genius prodigy, but you stepped right up and challenged me. You were so determined, so fierce, and it made me realize that I hadn't been keeping an eye on you since that mission because I felt responsible for your injuries. I had been doing it because I was attracted to you.” His smile widened as he kissed the scar that crossed Iruka's cheek. “Once I admitted that to myself, and more importantly to you, everything fell into place.”

“What about Kushina's son? You said I was the most important person in the world to him. I don't -” Kakashi's finger touched his lips, stopping the flow of words.

“You were the first person to outwardly, and without hesitation, show him that you cared about him,” the jounin said. “That boy grew up with nothing and no one until you entered his life. And it wasn't easy for you to learn to care for him because. . . Well, I can't tell you that part, but the simple fact that you overcame all of that negativity and were able to see Naruto for who he was, and who he could become -”

“Naruto?” Iruka burst out, interrupting. “Is that his name? The name that Shinkou said was mentioned often by the cult members?”

Kakashi blushed. “I didn't mean to tell you that, but yes, his name is Naruto, and he adores you. You're like the favorite uncle, father figure, and big brother all rolled into one. You changed his life in so many ways.”

“You make me sound like some sort of savior,” Iruka laughed, feeling heat start to climb his cheeks.

“To him you are. And to some of the rest of us as well.” He sighed, causing silvery hair to lift away from his face. “You saved me in more ways than I can count.” He turned to face Iruka, cradling his face between his hands. “Your kindness and compassion pulled me out of darkness. Your love kept me from ever slipping back.” Their lips touched briefly, and when Kakashi pulled back it was just far enough to whisper “I can never thank you enough, Iruka. Not if I have a thousand years to live.”

They kissed again; slow, soft, languid touches that sent a quiet desire burning through Iruka's veins. They couldn't act on those feelings, not during a mission, but they were both eager to enjoy what they could of each other.

Much later that night, curled against each other on a single bedroll and staring at the embers of the campfire, Iruka spoke again. “We have to succeed,” he whispered, just loud enough for Kakashi to hear him. “We have to fix this.”

“Why?”

“Because I think you love him more than you do me.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

“Score one more Guardian,” was how Yamato greeted the team the next morning.

“And no doubt Gi, Guardian of Earth?” Kushina asked with a grin.

“As predicted,” Yamato replied. His face was serious when he continued. “She also said that the time was drawing near, and to trust when help offers itself.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Genma asked. “And why the hell do legendary figures always specialize in cryptic?”

“I think the first part is pretty obvious,” Iruka put in. “We've been visited, and marked, by four of the five Guardians; that alone would seem to indicate that the 'time' is drawing near. The bigger question is the time for what? And who is going to offer their help?”

“Well, telling us that we should trust whoever comes to help suggests that it's someone we would instinctively _dis_ trust,” Rin commented, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. “Which, in this case, would mean -”

“I was beginning to think you'd never get to this point.”


	17. Chapter 17

No one reacted to the sudden, strange voice in their midst except Shinkou, who shrieked and ducked down to hide behind Genma. He, in turn, shifted his stance slightly, prepared to fight to protect her if necessary. Kushina and Kakashi, with cooler heads, took a moment to assess the situation.

“Which point?” Kushina asked. “This physical point or this point in our theories and speculations?”

The shadow in the cave's entrance finally stepped forward and they all got their first good look. She was a tiny figure; barely five feet tall and hunched over further with age. Her white hair was wispy and her face deeply lined. There was a dried trickle of blood on her left cheek and a large bump and bruise on her temple. When she saw that Rin took a deep breath and started forward, only to be stopped by Iruka's hand on her arm. She certainly didn't seem like a threat, but given the situation they couldn't take any chances.

“Kakashi,” Kushina barked out.

He nodded and pushed up his hitai-ate. It felt like everyone held their breath as he scrutinized the woman with the Sharingan, the tense seconds ticking off slowly. With a satisfied nod he covered the eye again. “She's clean,” he said, turning slightly to face Kushina. “No transformation jutsus, negligible chakra. She's exactly what she appears to be.”

The woman laughed until she started to cough. “I don't think I've ever been quite so disappointed in a handsome man's reaction to me,” she said after she caught her breath. The faint tinge of pink that rose on Kakashi's cheeks was almost enough to make Iruka start laughing; he had to bite his lip to keep the chuckles inside. She noticed his reaction and graced him with a beautiful smile.

“Can I heal her head now, taichou?” Rin asked, sounding grumpy at the delay. When Kushina nodded her assent Rin took the woman's arm and guided her to sit on one of the bedrolls. The comforting green light of the Mystical Palm technique soon filled the cave. “What's your name?” Rin asked, voice a low murmur.

“Akira.”

“How did this happen, Akira?”

“I had a disagreement with some people who don't take dissent very well, and they let me know exactly how they felt.” Akira grimaced slightly as chakra pressed against her bruised face.

Rin huffed out an angry breath. “This was done with a cudgel; you're lucky to be alive.”

“Ah, well, I used some of my 'negligible chakra' to soften the blow,” the old woman replied, casting an amused glance Kakashi's way. “It was the best I could do under the circumstances. I had to play dead for a while, though, otherwise I would have been here sooner.”

“These people that don't take dissent very well,” Iruka suddenly spoke, bringing the woman's eyes to him. “They wouldn't be the Cult of the Guardians, would they?”

Akira glanced his way. “You're a sharp one,” she said with a sly smile. “I'm guessing that you're also responsible for getting everyone here, to this place and to this point.” She waved Rin off for a moment and rose to her feet, stepping into Iruka's space and looking up at him. “May I?” she asked, holding out one hand.

Reluctantly Iruka placed his hand in hers, then held his breath. He didn't know what, exactly, he expected to happen, but he was surprised at the gentle warmth the flowed from her hand into his. A warmth that spread throughout his body as if it were analyzing him, then withdrew. When the last of that power was escaping his fingertips Akira's eyes drifted shut as she sighed.

“It's you,” she breathed out, her eyes fluttering open. For a moment Iruka thought their color had changed to a brilliant aquamarine, but then she blinked and they were back to what he had seen before, a soft, mossy green. “You're the force that disrupted everything.”

Iruka felt a blush start climbing his cheeks. “I. . . Ah. . . What do you mean?” he finally managed to ask, carefully avoiding meeting the eyes of the team, but especially Kakashi's.

Akira smiled. “I warned my sister that her plan had one inherent, enormous risk, but she ignored everything I said. But now I know I was right.” She looked back and forth between Iruka and Kakashi. “An emotional bond powerful enough to seep into the spell, making it a failure right from the beginning.” Then her eyes jumped to Kushina, focusing on her lower abdomen. “A failure in more ways than one.”

Genma opened his mouth, no doubt to say _I told you so!_ , but Rin elbowed him in the stomach before he could speak. A distinct snort of laughter escaped Yamato's lips although his face was the same impassive mask as usual. Kushina simply rolled her eyes. “He'll be insufferable for weeks, if not months,” she whispered to Kakashi, who grunted in agreement.

“Months,” he replied. “At least until the baby's born.”

Iruka cleared his throat. “As entertaining as all of this is can we please get back on topic?” He helped Akira return to sitting on one of the bedrolls and then dropped down beside her. “Why are you here, Akira-san? Why break from your companions?”

She sighed once. “You may as well all sit; the story might be somewhat long in the telling.” She took a deep breath once everyone was seated in a semi-circle around her. “I trust you found out about the prophecy?” When Iruka nodded she went on. “A child who unites the spirits of all five Guardians in one soul represents a danger to our movement. At least that was the argument. So a decision was made to attempt one particular spell that my sister, Akiko, had found in our records. A spell designed to reach into the past in order to change one event; one tiny little change that would have an enormous effect as the ripples spread.”

“But you had one fairly big problem,” Genma put in.

Akira nodded. “Over millenia the power of the Guardians had grown so weak that we knew it would be impossible to accomplish the spell with just our own powers. So we. . .” her voice faded away as she met Shinkou's eyes. “I am so sorry about your parents,” she finally said. “I can't. . .” She gave her head a violent shake. “I can't ever make up for that, I know, but I am sorry.”

Shinkou seemed to accept that; she nodded once in acknowledgment before tucking herself against Genma's side. He and Rin both put an arm around her in comfort, something that made Kushina smile.

“But, wait!” Yamato exclaimed. “The death of Shinkou's parents happened in this version or reality. If you already cast the spell and got what you wanted why were you still trying?”

“You have to let me tell the story in my own way, young man,” Akira responded. “It will all become clear, I promise.” She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. “The magic we had access to was so weak, but we knew we could supplement it with chakra. It was a risk, bringing in an outsider that wouldn't share our views and ideals, but Akiko decided it would be worth the attempt. She assumed that if the spell was successfully cast that the person whose chakra we stole wouldn't remember anything.”

“You argued otherwise, am I right?” Iruka asked.

“I did,” Akira answered with a nod. “We had speculated that there would be people involved that were not fully effected by the spell – that the true course of their lives would bleed through. Bringing in someone from outside would, I said, increase the chances of that happening. Plus it could mean that someone opposed to us and our aims would also have memories of what had happened.” She glanced at Kakashi. “Normally I'm pleased to be proven right, but in this case. . .” She exhaled loudly. “But to my sister and the others your appearance was like a gift from the gods, Hatake-san. I'm guessing you figured out most of the rest of the story.”

Kakashi nodded. “Actually Iruka figured it out,” he said, gesturing to the dark-haired tokujo. “But there is still one piece that they're missing.”

Iruka looked between Akira and Kakashi, eyes narrowed and brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was still missing. Then his face cleared. “The Kumo connection!” he exclaimed.

“Exactly,” Kakashi said with a smile. “The one tiny, seemingly insignificant event they tried to change was something that happened to Kushina when she was thirteen. A group of shinobi from Kumo tried to kidnap her in order to get control of the Nine-tails. Pretty much the whole of Konoha was sent in pursuit, but the one who found them and saved her was Minato-sensei. That was when she fell in love with him.”

Akira was nodding the entire time. “Exactly. The love story of the Fourth Hokage and the Jinchuriki was widely known, and we had pinpointed the attempted kidnapping as a pivotal moment in their relationship. Change that, my sister claimed, and they would never fall in love and never have a son.”

“So Naruto is the child mentioned in the prophecy?”

“Wait, Naruto?” Kushina asked. “Are you telling me that in this other reality I named my son after a character in Jiraiya-sensei's novel?” She pressed her hands to her face. “I voluntarily made Jiraiya my child's godfather?” came out muffled from between her fingers, accompanied by a groan.

“Okay, as amusing as that idea is – and don't think I'm not going to milk this for all its worth when we get back to Konoha – can we please get back to the issue at hand?” Genma asked with an unrepentant grin. He glanced at Akira, who was fighting back a grin. “So your spell succeeded in altering that one event. . .?

“Yes, it did, but it didn't effect the bigger picture,” she responded. “I knew as soon as I woke up the morning after that the spell had been disrupted in some way. The time differential, to begin with, was a big clue. But I think that played out differently for us than it did for you. We actually lived those four years all over again, which is why we had the time and the opportunities to attempt to correct the problem.”

“And kill my parents,” Shinkou spoke for the first time, voice tight and angry. The arm Genma had around her shoulders visibly tightened.

Akira dropped her eyes and looked thoroughly abashed. “I know. I've told myself a thousand times since that day if I had only refused to take part, if I had defied my sister. . .” She coughed to clear the roughness from her voice, blinking against unshed tears. “Your parents wouldn't have needlessly died, and the situation would not have become worse.”

“So each attempt you made to supposedly fix the problem only made it worse, am I right?” Iruka asked.

“And screwed with our timeline,” Kushina added

“Yes,” Akira admitted. “I knew things were coming back into some sort of alignment when I was able to feel you,” she continued, pointing at Kakashi. “The original disruption in the spell connected you and I emotionally; I could tell what you were feeling, and knew about how your other life was seeping through. I told my sister then it was only a matter of time before you came for us, but she ignored my opinion, as usual.” Her mouth twisted in disgust. “I was only ever good as a source of power anyway.”

Kakashi's mouth dropped open. “You were the magical center of the spell,” he said. “Just like I was the chakra center.”

“Counterparts,” Akira replied with a nod. “Two sides of one coin. Akiko never believed that your existence constituted a threat, though, and refused to listen whenever I brought it up. I told her that things would only get worse because of the spell being unstable from the get go, but she couldn't believe that it was so disrupted, let alone it was something you were thinking or feeling that caused it.”

“His name is Iruka.”

“What?” Akira looked confused.

“The 'something' that disrupted your spell,” Kakashi explained with a glance in Iruka's direction. “You already sensed that, but you may as well know his name. And everyone else's, if you're going to be staying.”

Once they all, even the ninken, had introduced themselves they got down to the more serious discussion. “Akira, I know you're aware of why we're here, but I'm going to ask you straight out,” Kushina began. “How the hell do we fix this?”

Iruka felt compelled to explain further. “We have reason to believe that this situation can be regarded the same as a long-term jutsu; the best way to stop it is to. . . well, kill the caster.” He looked embarrassed when Akira's surprised glance met his. “But now that we know your sister is the one who cast the spell. . .”

“You're not so much reluctant to kill her as you are to discuss it around me,” she commented, face twisted in a rueful expression. “But I can save you the trouble; although the chakra you know and the magic I do are closely related they are not the same, and the death of the caster does not end the spell.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because my sister died three days ago.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

“Do you believe her?”

Kakashi shrugged in response to Kushina's question. “I'm not the sensor here, you know.” Kushina rolled here eyes and Iruka laughed. “But I do believe her, yes. I can't think of a single reason why she would lie about that.”

“Something had been brewing for a long time,” Akira had said while explaining how her sister's death and her departure from the cult were related. “But no matter what happened or how much we disagreed I couldn't bring myself to leave Akiko. It was almost a relief when she died.”

“I don't think she's lying,” Rin added. “That injury wasn't faked, I know that for certain.”

“What about what she told us - the new person that only joined them a month ago?” Iruka asked. “She seemed to think that this person was exerting a little too much influence.” He rubbed the scar across his nose. “That would account for the acrimonious parting, if nothing else.”

“There probably were other factors, though,” Kakashi added. “The other leaders of the cult were firmly on Akiko's side. In fact I got the impression that they were even more -” He paused, searching for the right words.

“Gung ho?” Genma supplied, grinning when Kakashi nodded.

“They were even more gung ho about the continuing attempts to alter reality,” Kakashi continued. “Even more so. . .” His voice trailed off and a look crossed his face that made everyone shiver.

“You think one of them killed her, don't you?” Rin asked.

“It's a possibility, no more or less. They certainly didn't hesitate in harming Akira when she tried to leave their orbit, and you said it yourself, Rin.” Kakashi's smile was anything but warm and pleasant. “That blow to her head was meant to kill.”

Yamato looked slightly sick to his stomach. “They probably think it did kill,” he said, glancing around the group. “Remember she said she played dead for a while, presumably until their focus was off of her and she could make good her escape.”

Kushina gave her head a shake. “Okay, I think things are moving a little too fast at the moment, so let's keep our eyes on the prize. Is Akira the 'help' the Guardian of Earth mentioned in Yamato's vision? And if so why is she actually so damned unhelpful?”

Those words touched on a strain of frustration that had grown in all of them during the earlier conversation. With the original spell caster dead they had all been at a loss as to what approach could be taken next. Even the counter-spell that Akira mentioned had been dismissed. “Seriously?” Genma had asked, looking incredulous. “You think we should use more magic to try and fix everything that magic has already screwed up?”

Put like that it did make more sense to avoid another spell, but in his gut Iruka knew that they might not be given that choice. He had kept his thoughts to himself when it was first brought up but he couldn't ignore the sick feeling in his gut when another player had been added to the mix. A new recruit to the cult, someone who was exerting a greater influence over everything than even the long time leader Akiko had done. Someone who probably had everything to gain from the continued chaos of the shinobi world.

Someone who, given that Akira was aware of it, knows that Kushina and Minato had still managed to fall in love, and that Kushina was pregnant with what was likely the child of the prophecy.

“Stop,” Kakashi said, soft enough that only Iruka heard him. “You aren't going to change anything by fretting yourself sick.” A pale hand slid down his arm and longer fingers entwined with his.

Iruka could only nod in response, squeezing Kakashi's hand as he exhaled softly. “Who do you think this person is?” he asked. “This. . . influence peddler.”

“I'd rather not speculate.”

“But you have someone that you _think_ it is,” Iruka said, turning his head to stair at the profile beside him.

One corner of Kakashi's mouth quirked upward. “It wasn't hard to zero in on one suspect,” he replied. “Not once you realize what's needed.” At Iruka's questioning look he continued, ticking items off on his fingers as he spoke. “He needs to be someone with knowledge of the Five Guardians. Someone who accepts that chakra is a descendant of the ancient magic. Someone who has a history of being interested in many of the same sorts of arcane philosophies and legends.” He turned his head and met the tokujo's gaze directly. “And someone who we know possesses the knowledge of this particular spell.”

Iruka's face was screwed up in thought for a long moment before everything Kakashi said clicked. When it did he blanched and his eyes widened. “You mean -”

“So kind of all of you to gather in one place. It makes handling my business that much easier.”

The voice was like something out of a nightmare. Something a little too like a snake's hiss.


	18. Chapter 18

“You son of a -” was all that got out of Genma's mouth before a jutsu knocked him back on his ass, slamming him into the rock floor. Multiple dots of crimson bloomed against the dark blue of his shirt and blood spurted from a cut on the crest of his left cheekbone.

“Gen!” Rin cried out as she knelt at his side. She raised her hands, Mystical Palm already activating, when hundreds of snakes flew across the cavern, wrapping around her torso and binding her as effectively as any rope. Before anyone else could be caught the same way Kakashi flashed through hand signs and used one of his favorite lightning jutsus to destroy the remaining snakes, moving fast enough to catch the new arrival unawares.

Orochimaru staggered under the assault but quickly recovered, using a wind technique to counter the lightning. When the noise of that clash died down they were all arrayed around the cave. Kushina stepped forward, hands raised. “Enough!” she shouted, glaring at the members of her team before turning a furious face on Orochimaru. Her eyes were tinged slightly read with the power of the Nine-tails. “Release my medic and we'll talk,” she said, sounding calmer but with an unmistakable edge to her voice.

“What could we possibly have to talk about?” Orochimaru asked, but he did as Kushina asked. Rin gasped in relief as the constriction around her body eased and she immediately started to heal Genma.

“For a start you can explain to me what 'business' you have to handle here.”

She got a twisted grin in response. “That would be telling. Let's just say that I have a vested interest in the outcome of your mission.” His eyes shifted around the cave until they came to rest on Kakashi and Iruka, standing close together. “Some things never change, do they?”

Kakashi stiffened and took a step forward, only stopping at the touch of Iruka's hand on his shoulder. But the snake sage's attention had already left the pair, settling next on Yamato, who all but cringed away from that gaze. Shinkou shifted her feet as if she would move forward to protect the chuunin, but Yamato held out a hand to stop her.

“You know,” Orochimaru began, almost as if he was talking to himself. “I never really had much care for failed experiments before, but I have to say this one intrigues me. He's not what I thought he would be.”

“Bastard.” The grumble was unmistakably Genma

“He's far more than your 'failed experiment',” Rin put in, rising to her feet now that Genma was healed. “He's his own person, and deserving of your respect.”

Orochimaru looked at her for a long moment, then away, dismissing her presence without a word. Rin bristled at the affront, but Iruka felt something else. It was rare for the snake master to allow himself to be sensed, but certain feelings were coming through strongly. Especially curiosity, and an underlying emotion that Iruka was having trouble pinpointing. But as soon as the other man looked away from Rin he connected with it. It was disgust, but tinged ever so slightly with confusion. It was a confusion that the tokujo had felt from one other person in recent weeks.

“You know,” Iruka said, clear enough to be heard by everyone in the cave. “You remember.”

Kushina started. “What?!”

Iruka stepped closer to the older man and studied him intently, surprised that Orochimaru didn't look away. “He knows the other reality,” the tokujo spoke at last. “I don't know how but he wasn't effected by the spell.”

“He was sealed,” Kakashi whispered, voice hoarse. He glared when the older man made as if to scoff. “The Sakegari no Tachi, am I right? I remember hearing something about the sudden, unexpected appearance of that legendary blade in the hands of Uchiha Itachi. He used it against you to save his brother, even though it cost him his own life..”

“Kakashi. . .” Kushina began.

He waved her off. “We know that summons animals weren't effected by the spell because they were cut off from this plane. Stands to reason that someone sealed, especially the type of sealing done by the Sakegari, would be effected the same way. So just tell us; when did you figure it out?”

Orochimaru looked distinctly put out but he answered anyway. “I woke up in Konoha, apparently still an active shinobi of the village instead of a rogue and an S-class criminal. That was my first big clue.”

At the words _S-class criminal_ everyone leapt back and immediately assumed defensive postures with Genma and Rin making extra efforts to ensure that Shinkou and Akira were protected. Orochimaru grinned at the reaction, the kind of grin that tended to freeze people in their tracks with terror. “Relax, you guys,” he said, managing to sound both amused and condescending at the same time. “I'm not a criminal in this world.”

“Technically.” Everyone's gaze jumped to Iruka. “I mean the Orochimaru that lives in this reality isn't, so technically that applies to you. But I think you can understand why we might feel a bit differently.”

“I think what Iruka is trying to convey without actually asking – he's a little too polite for his own good – is what the fuck do you want with us?” Leave it to Genma to cut straight to the heart of the matter. And as rudely as possible.

“Would you believe me -”

“No.” It was Kakashi who interrupted. “I wouldn't believe a damn thing that came out of your mouth.” He tilted his head back, looking almost as if he were bored with the entire situation. “The way I see it you currently have two options, Orochimaru-sama.” He somehow managed to invest that title with as much contempt as possible. “You can either tell us what it is you think we'll believe or you can tell us the truth. Although honestly I'm not interested in either one; I much prefer the third option.”

“Which is?”

“You leave. Now.” Kakashi's head lowered as he slowly lifted the left side of his hitai-ate, baring the Sharingan. The two men stared at each other for a long moment, killing intent rising between them and making the air thick with malevolence. It wasn't until Shinkou made a soft noise of distress that Kakashi blinked the Sharingan shut and took a step back, quelling that dangerous aura as he did.

Orochimaru didn't say another word, simply spun on his heel and stalked away. They heard pebbles clattering under his feet as he left.

The ensuing silence was beyond tense, but if he noticed Kakashi gave no sign. Once the sounds of the snake sage's departure had faded he simply sat back down on one of the bedrolls and pulled a kunai from his pouch, checking the blade's sharpness.

Finally Kushina coughed and got his attention. “Do you want to tell me what all that was about?” she asked.

“Are you sure you want to know?” he asked in return, a cold smile twisting his mouth. “You might learn something that you think you shouldn't, after all.”

“I think we're way past that now, Kakashi,” Kushina replied. “So just spill it, already”

Kakashi sighed and glanced around at his companions, finally settling on Iruka's face. He knew that what he was about to tell them was going to hurt, but Kushina was right. They were well beyond that. “Orochimaru isn't just a rogue and a criminal,” he began, feeling the roughness in his voice. “He has actively conspired against Konoha on a few occasions, and even attempted a coup.” He swallowed hard. “He killed the Sandaime.”

The collective intake of breath was so loud it almost echoed off of the cave walls. No one seemed to know how to reply, or if they even should. Iruka, especially, seemed shaken by the revelation, making Kakashi regret that he had been so blunt in the telling. It also made him remember the anguish of the other Iruka during that time; his overwhelming pain at the death of the man who had been a strong father figure to him.

“What. . .” Iruka cleared his throat before continuing. “What do you think Orochimaru's objective is now?”

Kakashi shrugged. “I have no idea. He could want to maintain the spell, since he can doubly benefit from the world as it is while he is the same person he was. He could also want to aid us in putting things back, but that would result in him being sealed once again, and I don't think that's in his game plan. Knowing his ability to manipulate things I'd guess he wants something halfway between those two.” He glanced at Yamato. “You know him best, sensei, at least in this reality. Care to hazard a guess?”

Yamato looked as if he was going to be sick any moment. He shook his head sharply. “I can't imagine,” he whispered, a pained expression on his face. “I always thought that he was a fundamentally loyal person. Arrogant and manipulative, yes, but always loyal to Konoha. Now. . .” His throat worked as he swallowed. “I have no idea.”

“Either way he'll be back,” Kushina put in with an air of finality. “He can't afford to leave us on our own to accomplish our mission, so we had best be ready for anything.” She glanced at Kakashi. “Can you summon all of your ninken and set up a schedule for night watches with them?”

He looked surprised. “You. . . You want all of them here? But that'll -”

“I understand the risk,” she said, mouth twisted wryly. “And I am now officially past worrying about our learning things about that other reality. I'm a bit more worried about our supposed comrade, the snake-charmer.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

Iruka slept restlessly that night, his mind unable to settle down despite his body's exhaustion. He was running all kinds of scenarios, imagining all sorts of situations, but he kept coming back to one indisputable fact: Kakashi suspected that the person who had joined the cult shortly before the death of Akira's sister was Orochimaru, and that his influence had directly led to Akiko's likely murder. Which both complicated and simplified their situation, leaving them with only one real option. The would have to attempt the counter spell that Akira had spoken of, despite the risks.

And another part of his mind was consumed with the other things that Kakashi had revealed to him, like the circumstances of Rin's death. And what he had said about the Sandaime. And what was implied when he mentioned that Kushina's and Minato's son ( _Naruto_ , he reminded himself with a smile) had grown up with nobody to care for him. And he wondered if four people being alive that should have been dead was adding to the instability in the spell. Plus Shinkou's parents, two people who were dead that shouldn't have been.

It was all a little too much to be thinking about, so he finally used a form of meditation to clear his mind and was able, at last, to fall into a deep sleep.

****~**~**~**~**~****

_Iruka. . ._

_Iruka. . ._

His eyelids fluttered open, blinking against bright sunlight and an almost blinding blue sky.

Wait. Blue sky and sunlight? It was night!

He jerked upright, grunting as the sudden motion stressed the muscles of his lower back. He looked around, taking in his surroundings, and realized that the sunlight and blue sky weren't the only odd things. The green grass, trees, and hills in the distance were definitely not Earth Country. In fact if pressed he'd have to say he was somewhere near Konoha. Near home.

“I hope you don't mind the illusion,” a voice behind him spoke. “I took the image from your memory so you'd feel more comfortable.”

He turned around and met the stunning cyan eyes of the woman he now knew as Fotia, the Guardian of Fire. The woman who had marked him as her own; her personal warrior in the battle to fix an off-the-rails destiny. He looked at her questioningly, one eyebrow raised. “How should I greet you?” he asked with a slight smile. “Do I need to bow before a goddess?”

She laughed. “I'm no goddess, Iruka, although some people regard my sisters and I as such. In my first lifetime I was as human as you.” She stepped forward and dropped to the ground, sitting beside him. “Some things have changed over the years -”

“Millennia, you mean,” Iruka interrupted, causing a grin.

“Yes, yes. But as I was saying things have changed but I've never forgotten who I was in the beginning.” She looked off into the distance, absently pulling blades of grass. “And all the changes. . .” She sighed heavily. “We never imagined it would turn into this.” She seemed to feel Iruka's eyes on her because she turned her head to meet his gaze. “You want to ask me if this really needs to be fixed. You're thinking that because Uzumaki-san is pregnant with a son that destiny will correct itself as soon as she gives birth.”

“Won't it?”

Fotia shook her head. “Not at all. The prophecy isn't just about the person. The time and the place are also factors, and while Uzumaki-san will give birth to Namikaze-san's son in the Land of Fire, and they will name the child Naruto, he won't be the child of all mankind. He'll be born almost fourteen years too late. And he won't have his beloved Iruka-sensei to set him on his proper path.”

“So it's true, then.” She shot him a glance and Iruka continued. “Kakashi told me that I was the most important person in the world to Naruto. That my presence in his life had an enormous impact on who he grew up to be.” He shook his head. “I'm having a hard time believing that could be true, though.”

“Why, exactly?”

He shrugged. “I mean, who am I to have such an impact on the world? I'm just -”

“You are my chosen one, Iruka. A warrior of fire. And a man of extraordinary strength and compassion. You have it in you to impact anything.”

“You should believe what she says,” a new voice injected in to the conversation.

Iruka felt four distinct changes in the air pressure around him and blinked stupidly at the four beautiful women who appeared. Two of them he recognized as Nero and Anemos based on the descriptions of his teammates. Another had tan skin, similar in tone to his, with long, honey-brown hair and glittering emerald eyes. Based on that he guessed she was Gi, the Guardian of Earth.

Which left Astrapi. He glanced her way and was taken aback. He had gotten used to thinking of the excessively long hair as normal for the Guardians, but she had short hair, cropped close to her skull on the sides and back with longer strands falling gracefully about her face. The longer hair was a deep, navy blue and the cropped sections a violent pink. Her eyes were a similar shade to Fotia's, but as he looked harder he noticed more green than blue, the opposite of the Fire Guardian.

“If anything should convince you that you are the point around which all of this revolves it's this,” Astrapi spoke, gesturing to herself and the other women. “We don't appear en masse to just anyone.”

Iruka grinned. “Yeah, I kind of figured that,” was his reply before he pointed at the Lightning Guardian. “You haven't put in _any_ appearance yet. Why?”

A slight flush stole across her cheeks. “It's. . . complicated.” She glanced at Fotia, who took up the thread.

“I think if we explain what needs to be done to fix the situation the rest may become clear, Iruka,” she said as the others nodded their agreement. “I think you've already come to something of a conclusion on your own, am I right?” When Iruka gave a nod she continued. “Well, your conclusion is partially right; the counter-spell is the best way to change the world back to what it should be, but there is one problem that needs to be corrected before an attempt can even be made.”

Iruka looked confused. “Problem? What sort of problem? And why would it need to be 'corrected' in this reality? Won't everything automatically go back to what it should be if we're successful?”

Anemos moved closer then and sat herself on Iruka's other side. “It's not as simple as that. You know about how the action of the spell was disrupted – rendered unstable – from the moment it was cast.” She laughed as Iruka blushed. “Yes, that was your fault, in a roundabout way. But there is something else at work; something that is worsening the situation with every day that passes.”

“Something else?” Iruka asked. “But I thought -”

“Hatake-san's feelings for you – the strength of them – altered the intended course of the spell from the very beginning, but it is not what's causing all of the negative effects,” Gi added. She took a deep breath before continuing. “There is one alive in this version of reality that shouldn't be, and it is that that has caused most of the disruption. Including the time differential.”

“By my count there at least four people alive who shouldn't be.”

Fotia laughed. “Your scarecrow has a big mouth,” she said, lips twitching as she worked at preventing more laughter. Then she sobered. “But there is one specific person having the greatest impact.” She flushed and looked away from Iruka, clearly uncomfortable. “And I think you can guess who it is.”

Iruka's mind quickly ran through all the possibilities, taking everything he had learned since the entire mess had begun and slotting facts into appropriate places. But one thing stood out more strongly than anything else; it was the one member of the team with no apparent connection to one of the Guardians. His heart was in his throat when he spoke. “It's Rin, isn't it?” No one could meet his eyes, but Fotia nodded. “Why?”

“You have to understand something about the fundamental, spiritual balance of the world, Iruka,” Anemos replied. “People are born every day; the sheer volume of births has the potential to throw everything off kilter without even trying.”

“But children are unformed; unformed spirits and unformed personalities,” Nero went on, speaking for the first time. “It takes more than that for someone to impact the balance that Anemos is describing. Growing older, growing up, is an integral part of who each person becomes and where they fit within that balance.”

“In the other reality – the true course of events – Rin was killed when she was barely fourteen years old. Too young for her spirit to have developed enough to take its rightful place.” Gi pushed a hand through her hair and gazed off into the distance. “She never had a chance to become more.”

“The others that you know of, namely Kushina-san, Minato-sama and the Sandaime Hokage, were all adults when they were killed. All fully formed spirits that had already contributed to the cosmic balance. But the Rin that you know is an. . . an aberration,” Astrapi put in. “A spirit and personality that didn't develop naturally, and is therefore a disruption.”

“But she had to have grown up and 'developed' in this reality, right?” Iruka protested, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She didn't just manifest as a fully grown adult -” He bit off the rest of his words, exchanging glances with all five Guardians. “Shit! You're saying that's exactly what happened!”

Fotia nodded. “The spell brought this alternate reality into existence in the condition that you know. In essence your reality started the moment that Kakashi-san woke up in the hospital with a torn Achilles tendon and a concussion. Whatever you think you remember – about your childhood, your training, your mother's death, even the capture of the Yondaime's Kumo wife – never actually happened.” She pressed a hand on Iruka's arm. “I am sorry to be so blunt about it, Iruka, but we don't have time to mince words anymore.”

He couldn't even nod in acknowledgment; every part of him was numb. Then he remembered something else and looked up, meeting the Lightning Guardian's eyes. “You know how she died in that other world, right?” Iruka asked. “It was a lightning jutsu, in the hands of her best friend.” He swallowed hard. “Kakashi killed her.”

“He didn't kill her, Iruka, no matter what he claims,” Astrapi corrected in a gentle voice. “She chose to die at the hands of her friend to prevent a great evil from befalling her village and her comrades. She chose to make that sacrifice, and deserves all honor and respect for her strength.”

“Is that why she wasn't chosen by you as your warrior? Because lightning is what killed her?”

Astrapi's smile was almost unbearably sad. “Partly. You'll understand more when the time comes.” She tilted her head to one side as if listening to something only she could hear. “And now I think it's time for you to wake up and end this discussion.”

“Why? I need to know so much more!”

“Because you're under attack. Wake up, Iruka!”

_Wake up!_


	19. Chapter 19

Iruka jerked awake to the sound of explosions coming closer, then felt a distinct tug on his chakra as one of his warning traps was triggered. He had laid a whole series of them the previous evening, in concentric arcs out from the cave's mouth. They were not designed to halt anyone who might be approaching, but to give him, and through him the rest of the team, a warning.

A warning that seemed to have awakened everybody, all in that instant state of alertness that shinobi training bred. Except for Shinkou and Akira, who both looked confused and terrified. He could feel the roiling emotions of both of them, and knew he needed to block it out and focus his senses outward. He felt another one of the warning traps snap, and now that he knew where to look he could easily find what he needed.

“How many, Iruka?” Kakashi's warm voice, soft but insistent.

“Ten. No, wait.” His brow furrowed as his concentration intensified. “Some of them are the ninken,” he finally replied. “They need to get closer before I'll be able to sort it all out.”

“Kushina?”

“The same,” she said.

Kakashi cursed under his breath. “How far out was your first ring of traps?”

“About five hundred yards.” Iruka met his gaze. “I don't know what, exactly, you're thinking but that's too far. We'll be separated by too much distance if we go out after them.”

Kakashi's grin sent shivers down his spine. “I know. Luckily I have a back up plan.” His eyes landed on Yamato. “Tenzou?”

The teacher nodded once before closing his eyes and moving slowly through hand signs, ones that are unfamiliar to Iruka. He moved closer to Kakashi. “What's he doing?” Iruka whispered.

“It's a special Wood Release tracking technique,” Kakashi replied. “I made sure he planted some of his seeds on Orochimaru when he was here, so we'll know if that snake is a part of this.”

“Pun intended?” Iruka asked with a lift of his eyebrows.

Kakashi groaned. “You're making jokes at a time like this? Remind me again why I love you?” Then his eyes widened as Iruka flinched against him. “What is it?”

“Another trap. On the next circle in. They're getting closer.”

“Can you tell yet. . .?”

Iruka nodded. “I can feel four of the ninken coming this way from the west.”

“The other two are south of those four,” Kushina put in. When she finished speaking they could hear howls and baying, and the two ninken that had stayed in the cave perked up their ears. “They'll have more information for us,” the mission captain said, “but we need to come up with some sort of plan.”

Iruka approached the two non-shinobi of the group. “Can you set up and cast the counter-spell, Akira? If we hold them off and give you enough time?” He felt, rather than heard, the in-drawn breath behind him.

“Are you serious?” Genma all but shouted. “I thought we agreed that the last thing we needed to do was attempt that!”

Although he was reluctant to tell anybody else about his most recent vision Iruka knew he owed them at least something of an explanation. “I have new information,” he said, hoping that that would be enough of a clue. “And we don't have a whole lot of choice.” He glanced at Rin and felt his throat tighten. “There are. . . circumstances making the balance between realities even more unstable. If we can correct those the counter-spell will have a chance of working.”

“And if we don't what happens?” Genma asked, looking more worried than angry. “Will both realities collide and crash into nothingness?”

“I don't know, but it's not a chance we can take.”

“Orochimaru is with them,” Yamato's soft voice cut in to the argument. “He just appeared and joined the group to the west.”

Kushina's shoulders tensed. “He has trained shinobi with him, but they're not coming this way,” she stated, voice flat.

“Probably planning their mass assault,” Genma put in, lips twisted in a wry grin. “We don't have a lot of time.”

Kakashi turned to Iruka. “How many seals do you have left?” he asked.

“Three,” was the reply after Iruka checked his pouch.

“Can you configure them to make a barricade in the cave's mouth?” When Iruka nodded Kakashi continued. “Here's what we're going to do,” he said. “Genma, you and Kushina get yourselves into hiding outside, and be ready with any collaboration jutsu you can think of. Iruka, get two of those seals placed, and as soon as all of the dogs are in here set the third and activate the barrier.” He turned to address one of the two ninken that was with them. “Buru, your job is to protect Shinkou and Akira. Whether we try the counter-spell or not the two of them need to be taken care of.”

“I can fight,” Shinkou spoke up, voice wavering with fear.

“Not these guys you can't,” Kakashi responded, shaking his head when her expression turned mutinous. “If anyone gets past Buru you may have to, but I'd rather you didn't. Your strength is still too uncertain; you might hurt someone you don't intend to harm.” His gaze met Akira's. “I'm going to ask you the same thing Iruka did: can you do it?”

She looked uncertain, giving a hesitant nod. “I'll need a source of chakra, though.”

“Not to worry; if things work out the way I expect them to you'll be well provided for.”

“You want to trap them between the barrier and whatever Kushina and Genma come up with,” Iruka said.

It wasn't a question, so Kakashi didn't bother answering. “Just tell me how many are shinobi and how many are the cultists.”

“There are eleven, total. Four shinobi, counting Orochimaru.”

“Not the best odds I've ever faced, but also not the worst,” Kakashi joked with a shrug, making Iruka roll his eyes. Anything the tokujo might have said was drowned out in a sudden flurry of barks and yips as the remaining six ninken charged into the cave at top speed, Akino leading the charge.

“They're right behind us, boss,” the dog spoke between gulping breaths.

Iruka moved to set the final seal for the barrier but Kakashi laid a hand on his arm. “Not yet,” he whispered.

A woman came into sight from behind a group of rocky outcroppings, running at full speed, face twisted in a grimace. Genma and Kushina let her get close, then he struck her with a mild lightning jutsu, enough to knock her unconscious. Rin slipped out of the cave and was beside the woman when a man in the uniform of a Rock shinobi appeared, using the Body Flicker Technique. Rin dove away from his attempted kunai strike and lashed out with a taijutsu combo as soon as she regained her feet. Her final kick was strong enough to send the Rock nin staggering back and into the cave, where Yamato administered a sharp jab to a cluster of nerves in the neck. The other shinobi dropped to the ground with an audible thud.

“Get ready, Iruka,” Kakashi ordered, his hand tightening on the tokujo's arm. “Rin, get inside and stay put.”

She looked like she was about to argue, but the number one rule of being a team medic was staying behind everyone else, so she pulled the unconscious woman with her and took refuge in an alcove that wasn't visible from the entrance. Kakashi nodded in approval before gesturing to Iruka and Yamato. “When I say move we go, and Iruka will activate the barrier from the outside. I expect the cult members to not know what they're dealing with, and with luck they'll knock themselves out running up against the barricade. That leaves the five of us against three other shinobi.”

“What about Rin?” Yamato asked. “She'll be inside with one of them.”

Kakashi laughed. “She can handle herself, don't worry. If push comes to shove she has at least a dozen sedative dosed senbon in her medical pouch.” A loud whistle sounded and the next second the small open space before the cave seemed filled with people. “NOW!” Kakashi shouted, and the three of them leapt forward, Iruka higher than the other two to get the final seal stuck to the arch of rock above their heads. Before his feet touched the ground he made the necessary seals and the barrier rose with a soft buzz.

As predicted more than half of the cult members ran straight into the barricade and were knocked out by its power. But they were just the advance troops, and Orochimaru was clearly taking no more chances. The remaining two cultists and three shinobi approached cautiously, the snake sage in the rear. Kushina and Genma came out of hiding behind them, kunai in hand.

“Well done, Copy Nin.” The snake's hiss of a voice was accompanied by ironic applause, which Kakashi acknowledged with an equally ironic bow. “You anticipated that I'd send the weakest troops in first and planned how to counter that.”

“Standard battlefield strategy,” Kakashi replied with a shrug. “It wasn't hard to predict.”

“Perhaps not, but now that we're fairly well matched what happens?” Orochimaru glanced at the Konoha shinobi that encircled his group. “Every nature element is countered by its opposite on the other side of this fight, so no one really has an advantage.” Kakashi raised his hitai-ate and bared the Sharingan, causing the other man to laugh. “Okay, maybe you have a _slight_ edge, but will it be enough? Probably not, especially if you get distracted by something you desperately want to protect. A simple chuunin schoolteacher. . .” His gaze shifted and landed on Iruka, who bristled, causing more laughter. “I admit that my protege is a bit of a wild card, but I expect to be able to handle that just fine. So come at me whenever you're ready.”

Genma took a step forward but stopped when Kushina held up a hand. “Why is this so important to you, Orochimaru?” she asked. “I understand them -” She gestured to the cultists still standing. “ - but your motive in all of this remains a mystery.”

“It's actually quite simple,” he replied, tapping a long finger against his lips for a moment. “Chaos is my preferred milieu, after all. So conducive to the kind of business that I like to conduct, don't you think? And as I have no desire to be sealed by the Sakegari blade again I have to fight to keep this reality as is.” He stared at Kushina for long enough to make her uncomfortable. “I do wonder, though, why you are so hell bent on fixing this. You obviously don't know what's waiting for you on the other side, or you might be a bit more reluctant.”

Kakashi's face went stark white and he gasped out “Don't!”

“I suppose dying at the hands of the creature currently locked inside of you would be something of a let down,” Orochimaru went on, speaking over Kakashi. “But it did, at least, come with the perk of being married to the Hokage. Too bad he also died because of you.”

Kushina's face blanched and for a moment it looked like she was going to fold over herself in pain, one hand protectively cradling her unborn child. From where he was standing Iruka could see her eyes jump to Kakashi for an instant before resolutely looking away. She didn't say anything in response, but the burning red eyes of the Nine-tails were eloquent enough. He felt the change in her chakra as the tailed beast's surged to life, a split-second before she exploded into action, leaping across the circle and taking down one of the cultists with a vicious roundhouse kick.

That moment of distraction gave the rest of them their best opportunity. Iruka used the Flame Bullets technique to push back the two Rock shinobi that had advanced when Kushina struck. He was quicker than they, and the jutsu was powerful enough to overwhelm the Doryouuheki that one of them attempted. He kept the jutsu going, using it to herd the pair in the direction he wanted. They were close enough to the two remaining cult members when he heard a voice behind him.

“Mokuton! Shichuuroo no Jutsu!”

Iruka jumped away, grabbing hold of Kushina as he did so. The two of them cleared the area just in time as the walls of the Four Pillar Prison rose out of the ground, trapping Orochimaru's four remaining henchmen. One of the shinobi inside attempted to use an Earth Release technique to break out, not aware that the Earth element was a vital component of Wood Release and as such only made the prison stronger. Glancing at Yamato Iruka had to bite his lips to keep from laughing at the smug look on the other man's face as the slats in the walls of the prison thickened and moved closer together. He was half expecting Yamato to brush his hands together in a job-well-done gesture when they were both surprised by the sound of lightning crackling in the air around them.

“Shit!” Yamato gasped out before leaping to the top of the prison he had built. Iruka followed, still holding on to Kushina, reaching that bit of safety just a breath before jagged streaks of silver erupted out of the ground. But before any of them could get a good look at what was happening a gale struck, almost knocking them off their feet, and dissipated the lightning.

Genma landed on top of the prison with them, having jumped from a nearby tree. “Do we intervene?” he asked, voice raised to be heard above the clash of jutsus below them. The Great Fireball that Kakashi had conjured exploded outward when it came in contact with Orochimaru's wind. The four of them dropped down to avoid the backdraft, but even so the smell of singed hair hovered in the air afterwards. “Captain!” Genma exclaimed, shaking Kushina by the shoulder. Then he looked imploringly at Iruka. “She's gone.”

The tokujo adjusted his grip and shifted the body held against his side until he could see Kushina's face. Her eyes had gone completely red and slitted. Each cheek was marred by three lines that looked suspiciously like whiskers, and even as Iruka watched each line grew thicker and more defined. He slid one hand down Kushina's arm until he could touch her hand and almost jerked back from the intense chakra he felt in her skin. He knew it was only a matter of time before that chakra started to visibly leak out of her. “YAMATO!” he shouted, clearly panicked.

Tenzou appeared at his side and quickly assessed the situation. “Lay her down,” he instructed, helping Iruka shift her weight. “If her body is in contact with the wood it'll help.” He looked up. “I'll restrain her further if it becomes necessary, so go help Kakashi; I've got this.”

Iruka and Genma jumped down from the top of the Four Wall Prison, already making seals as they dropped. In a desert environment like the Land of Earth water release techniques would be difficult, but Iruka had long ago mastered the ability to convert his own chakra into water. And while that meant he could fight in a manner that would complement Kakashi's and Genma's lightning it also meant he would burn out his energies quickly. The sooner they finished this the better.

He finished his last hand seal and focused inward, gathering as much chakra as he could. He had an immense catalog of water jutsus, many of them legacies of his mother's Kirigakure ancestors. The one he was aiming for would allow a slow and steady trickle of water to build up in the ground around him until it was saturated, so with a sigh he released his chakra. It moved out of his feet, changing it's nature to water as it did. He saw Genma glance down at the ground as he felt the change, and gave the older man a nod.

Genma quickly threw himself into the fight between Kakashi and Orochimaru, knowing it was vital to keep their opponent distracted while Iruka worked his Water Release magic. He had his formidable arsenal of poisoned senbon ready to hand, but against an opponent like the snake sage – who was immune to most standard poisons - they'd be of little use. And lightning was out; if they used it prematurely all of Iruka's work would be meaningless. He saw Kakashi make hand signs for a wind jutsu and chose his next move accordingly. The chakra-charged ash spewed from his mouth in a great gust, filling the space between the two duelers. He sent the spark that ignited it at the same time as Kakashi finished the wind jutsu, and the resulting explosion of flame was impressive, to say the least.

But it wasn't enough. As the smoke cleared both Genma and Kakashi could see that Orochimaru was still standing and unharmed, albeit somewhat singed around the edges. “Next plan?” Genma asked, swiping at one cheek and leaving a streak of soot behind.

“Depends,” Kakashi replied, keeping his voice low. “How much time does Iruka need?”

“More than we've given him so far, that's for sure. And our jutsu options are limited if we want to avoid interfering with what he has planned.”

“Right,” Kakashi said with a nod, pulling a kunai out of his pouch. “You distract and I'll go in first. Taijutsu only.” He grinned. “On -”

Genma didn't wait for any sort of countdown, using the Dragon Flower technique that was a specialty of his. As the flames burst like fireworks in Orochimaru's face the sage was temporarily blinded, allowing Kakashi to get in close and strike.

Iruka watched the taijutsu duel from where he stood, unable to move as he continued to spread the water. Everything between Kakashi, Genma, and Orochimaru was a blur of motion, of flying fists and feet. The only sound was the clanging of metal as kunais clashed and the strained breathing of all three. It was as impressive as it was frightening.

But he couldn't dwell on what he was watching; through his feet he was able to gauge how much water was accumulating in the surrounding ground. It was a delicate balancing act: he needed it to be enough to channel the power of lightning but not let it get to the point that the ground turned into a mud bog. When he felt that conditions were perfect he leapt away from where he had been standing with a shout.

The rest seemed to happen in slow motion. Kakashi and Genma both whipped through hand seals, readying their lightning release. They were fast enough to be a step or two ahead of Orochimaru, enough that Kakashi's Sharingan predicted what wind jutsu the sage was going to attempt. He was able to change his intended technique to counter it. Lightning sparked in his palm and almost solidified. Genma was surrounded by an aura of sparks, ready to drop and send an electrical surge through the water-soaked ground.

Iruka felt a disruption in his chakra and turned around to see the barrier in the cave's mouth drop as Rin surged out of the dark, running towards the two men, one her best friend and the other her lover. Her mouth opened, but he couldn't hear the words. He started to shout a warning, but it came just the tiniest bit too late. She was in front of Kakashi, and his hand was moving toward her, blue-white lightning under her chin and casting a shadow on her face.

Then the entire world froze.


	20. Chapter 20

This time, because he was awake, Iruka was aware of the transition when it happened. The barren landscape of Earth Country seemed to melt away around him to be replaced by the hills, trees, and rippling grass of Konoha. Even the air seemed different; more humid and with a smell like rain. Iruka breathed it in and tilted his head back. It was only then that he realized he could move. But everyone around him was still frozen in place.

Everyone only included the members of the team, though. They were all arranged in a tableau around him, in the positions they had occupied before slipping into this world created by the Guardians. Kushina lay on her back with Yamato crouched beside her. Genma, Rin, and Kakashi were arrayed together, looking exactly as he recalled with one exception: the lightning in Kakashi's hand had disappeared.

Five bursts of displaced air followed and the Guardians all appeared. Nero and Gi immediately went to Kushina and Yamato, and the pair unfroze as soon as they were touched. Yamato looked around, confused, then noticed that the wood prison was gone. His gaze jumped to Kushina. “No, it's -”

“It's okay, Yamato,” Gi replied, a gentle hand resting on the chuunin's shoulder. “Nero can help her.”

And it was true. The Water Guardian laid a hand on Kushina's stomach, over the seal that caged the Nine-tails, and immediately the Jinchuriki's strained breathing eased. The unnatural flush of her skin started to fade, and Iruka could sense the tailed beast's chakra start to retreat as Kushina's came back to life. Lastly the whisker marks on her cheeks shrank away to nothing and when she opened her eyes they were returned to normal, the violet color clear and unclouded.

“What -” she started to ask.

“Don't talk yet,” Nero instructed. “You need to give it a few minutes for your body to adjust itself back to normal.” She slid a hand under Kushina's shoulder and helped the other woman sit up.

“Where the hell are we?” Yamato asked. “And what happened to. . . well, everyone else?”

Fotia laughed. “The one person who started this adventure with the most knowledge of us and our legends is the most confused. How does that happen?”

Yamato's jaw dropped and he glanced around, eyes taking in the appearance of all five of the strange women. “You. . . You're. . .” A wide grin broke out across his face. “Wow,” was all he said.

“Yeah, wow pretty much covers it,” Iruka said with a chuckle. “But I think 'why' might also be appropriate in this situation.” He glanced at Astrapi, who was standing near the trio of Kakashi, Genma, and Rin. “I thought everything had been fairly well explained the last time we did this.”

“The last time?” Yamato's expression was quizzical for a long moment before it cleared. “That's what you meant when you said you had new information about attempting the counter-spell!”

“Guilty as charged.” Iruka's eyes were still on Astrapi, and he saw the shift in her expression. “You have to tell them, don't you?” he asked.

She nodded. “I didn't plan to originally, but all things considered they deserve a chance to say good bye.” She reached out, laid one hand on each of them, and Kakashi and Rin came out of their stupors.

Kakashi recovered the fastest, immediately catching on to what was happening. Iruka saw him glance at Fotia. “I was never really yours, was I?” he asked in a quiet voice.

The Fire Guardian smiled. “You were. You are.” She looked around at all of the Konoha shinobi. “You are all mine, in a way. But the eternal balance requires something more.” She nodded to Anemos, who touched Genma and woke him up.

“What the f -” He swallowed that word down. “I mean. . . Ummm. . .” he scratched his nose. “I have no idea, actually.”

Iruka laughed. “Speechless Genma! You Guardians have wrought a miracle!”

Fotia laughed. “It's good that we're all here, although I regret the reason why.” Her eyes drifted over Kakashi and Rin. “I honestly wish there was another way we could do this.”

Kakashi shook his head. “Don't worry about it,” he said. “I wish it were different also, but I'm. . . well, I suppose prepared is the best word. I know what needs to happen.” He looked to Rin. “I don't -”

She held up a hand to stop his words. “No, you don't have to say anything.” A sad smile spread across her face. “I've figured a few things out, you know.” Her gaze drifted around the group[, touching on each person in turn. “I knew there had to be a reason why I was not the chosen warrior of one of the Guardians. “You're hers, aren't you?” she asked Kakashi, with a nod to Astrapi. “It's not that I doubt the strength of your connection to Iruka, but it seemed odd that one Guardian would have two chosen warriors. And you have the strongest lightning affinity of anyone I know.”

“He is, yes, but for the longest time we weren't sure,” Astrapi replied, moving close and taking hold of Rin's hands. “There was too much disturbance, too much fluctuation in everything. Plus it was difficult to see beyond his feelings for Iruka. But things are much clearer now.”

“Because Kakashi told us certain things, right?” Rin asked. When she got a nod in response she smiled. “I figured as much. His internal conflict about whether or not to tell us about the other reality had to have made things worse. Telling brought relief, and with it clarity. For all of us.”

Iruka looked at Rin, reaching out with his senses. She was almost indescribably calm; her emotions and chakra settled and smooth. “You. . .” He swallowed hard. “You know, don't you?”

Rin laughed. “Maybe not 'know'; guessed would be a better word. When everything was added up it wasn't hard to see what the biggest anomaly was.”

“Know what?” Genma barked out, looking between Rin and Iruka with a confused expression. “What anomaly? What the hell are you all talking about?”

Rin met Astrapi's eyes. “This is my chance, right? You're giving me the opportunity to say good-bye.”

The Lightning Guardian nodded once before pulling her hands free from Rin's. She cupped the young woman's cheek with one palm, then wrapped her arms around the medic, whispering in her ear. Rin laughed sadly, pressing her face into Astrapi's neck. When she pulled away the Guardian wiped tears from her cheeks before Rin took a determined step away from that support, moving closer to Genma.

“Gen. . .”

He shook his head with a frown. “No. Don't say it.” His frown then flipped to a tiny smile. “I can figure things out too, you know. I just. . .” He looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, and when he dropped his gaze tears were visible in his eyes. “I have a bad feeling that we never had a chance to really know each other in that other world, and that should be our only regret.” He reached out with a shaking hand and pushed his fingers into Rin's hair. “I love you, Nohara-san.”

“You have to go and tell me that NOW?!” she exclaimed, playfully smacking him on the shoulder.

“I know. I'm a total ass.” He moved right into her space and pressed their foreheads together.

“Yeah, you are,” Rin replied in a whisper. “You're just lucky I love you too. Jerk.” Then they were kissing, holding on as if they each needed the other more than air. When they pulled apart Genma turned his back on everyone else and walked a few steps away, shoulders shaking as he cried silently.

Rin's eyes followed him for a moment, her expression almost grateful that she couldn't see his face. When she turned to face the trio of Kushina, Yamato, and Iruka her face was composed, even though her eyes were shining with unshed tears. Kushina and Yamato were standing close together so she hugged them at the same time with a few softly-spoken words that brought a pair of watery grins to their faces.

The she turned to Iruka, who opened his mouth before he realized he had no clue what to say to her. She was smiling slightly when she reached behind him and tugged on his ponytail. “Take care of him,” she softly said with a nod toward Kakashi. “He. . . He doesn't always know -”

“Who and what he needs,” Iruka broke in, speaking just as quietly. “I know. And I'll do what I can, I promise. No matter what reality we end up in.”

Rin hugged him, and Iruka could feel the dampness of her tears soaking the collar of his shirt. He was blinking rapidly to hold back his own, not altogether successfully. And when she pulled away from him it was so sudden he staggered into the suddenly empty space. He watched as she walked to Kakashi, determinedly taking his hand and pulling him away from everyone else. Whatever they had to say to each other was spoken in low voices, impossible to overhear, but Iruka caught the outflow of their emotions; agony on Kakashi's part and a quiet resolve on Rin's. He saw Kakashi try to pull his hand away from hers at one point, but she held on, voice rising a little with her determination.

“This is _not_ your fault, Kakashi. None of it. I'm choosing this, so don't you dare take that away from me.”

Kakashi mumbled something in reply, making Rin smack the back of his head. Then they were in each other's arms, hands clenched in the stiff fabric of flak vests, clinging so tightly that their white knuckles were visible even at a distance. Kakashi spoke a few final words and Rin nodded against his shoulder, slipping her hands into his hair. She stepped back and pulled his head down enough to press a kiss to each of his cheeks before releasing him and walking away.

She stopped when she stood in front of the Lightning Guardian. “I'm ready.”

Astrapi exchanged glances with three of her sisters. The air around all of them wavered, like heat rising from a desert floor, and they disappeared, leaving only Iruka and Fotia. She looked almost guilty.

“I'm sorry, Iruka,” she said with a shake of her head. “I know -”

“Don't,” he interrupted. “Don't explain any more, don't commiserate, and definitely don't apologize. Just tell me how to end this”

Fotia smiled and laid one hand on his forehead. “My last gift to you, Umino Iruka. Use it well.”

****~**~**~**~**~****

There was no time for hesitation when Iruka was returned to the battleground. As soon as the waves in the air dissipated everything was back in motion. He watched with his heart in his throat as Kakashi's hand, encased in lightning, punched through Rin's chest. Genma's shout was almost lost in all of the electrical crackling. He had a split second to make note of the peaceful expression on Rin's face before the world exploded in water, heat, and burning, white light.

In the midst of all that he felt someone land on the tree branch beside him, breathing harsh and strained. He cracked open one eye only to find his vision distorted by the orange after-image of the lightning that Genma had blasted through the water-soaked ground. There were hands on his shoulders and a voice calling his name. He shook his head and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his sight, desperate to learn if their impromptu plan had been successful.

The remains of the water he had used fell gently around them, a drizzle that was just enough to dampen clothes. And through that mist Iruka could see Kakashi, on his knees and cradling Rin's lifeless form, his face pressed against her hair. Genma ran across the open space, slid in the mud, and was beside them when Kakashi threw back his head with a howl of pure anguish.

Iruka's vision cleared enough to see that Orochimaru was still there, and still ready to fight. His stomach clenched as he reached inside himself, touching the place in his mind where Fotia had placed a special jutsu. The Fire Guardian's last gift to him.

He ran through the seals so fast it felt like no thought went into it. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he knew that he had to have faith. His fingers shaped the final seal and he felt his chakra burn underneath his skin. Then it erupted out of him with a violence that he had never before experienced, reaching out and grabbing hold of the snake sage and dragging his spirit out of his body. Iruka felt that malevolence touch his own soul and he had to force himself not to recoil from it as it drifted past him, moving toward the cave's entrance.

And that was when he became aware of sounds issuing forth from the cave. Chanting in a strange language combined with a howling whirlwind. The spiritual energy that the jutsu had pulled from Orochimaru was sucked into that maelstrom, amplifying every effect of what Iruka knew was the counter-spell. He released the jutsu and felt the remains of his chakra drift off, unable to return to his body. With a sigh of relief he let go of everything, tottered, then slipped from the branch he had been balanced on.

“IRUKA!” Yamato shouted as he moved to catch his teammate. The mud underneath the pair of them squelched beneath their combined weight. Kushina landed with a splash beside them.

“What did you do, Iruka?” she asked, shaking him slightly.

“I. . . I'm not sure,” he answered, voice a husky rasp in his throat. “But I think -”

The wind that had been confined to the cave suddenly whipped through the clearing they were in, roaring as it picked up speed. It tugged violently at their clothes and hair, and Iruka felt Kushina's hand clench in his vest, holding on tight. The three of them curled around each other, faces down and hands gripping each other. They could hear Genma and Kakashi shouting in surprise for a moment before the power of the wind became all-consuming. . .

****~**~**~**~**~****

“. . . ruka. Iruka. Iruka-sensei!”

Iruka had no idea why his eyelids felt like two ton weights, but he had a depressingly hard time getting them to open. And all he could see, when he finally did force them open, was a cloud of pink hair and a pair of concerned jade green eyes.

“Sakura,” he managed to gasp out as he tried to sit up.

“Don't move, sensei. You took a crack to the head when Naruto blasted through the rock with his Rasengan.”

His head did hurt, so he gratefully stayed prone for the time being. Besides, he felt like his brain had turned into mush as he listened to Sakura. It was like hearing words that he knew but being unable to match them with any meanings or images in his head. Naruto? Rasengan? What. . .?

“I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei!” a new voice exclaimed, a little too loudly. Iruka glanced in that direction and saw sun-bright blond hair and sapphire blue eyes. The sight tugged at his heart, and things in his brain unscrambled and rearranged themselves.

“It's okay, Naruto,” he said, finally feeling well enough to sit up. “Accidents happen.” He turned his head in the other direction and saw Sakura kneeling beside Kakashi, easily recognizable by his wild and unkempt hair. Yamato was there as well, looking harried and anxious.

“How is he, Sakura?”

“He'll be fine, taichou,” Sakura replied, activating the Mystical Palm technique as she spoke. “Probably a concussion, and definitely a torn Achilles tendon.” She glanced at Yamato. “We'll need something to transport him home in; I'd rather not heal that severe an injury in the field. I can stabilize it so he's not in any pain, but it be better to leave the rest until we get to a hospital.” She turned her head and focused her gaze past Iruka. “Sai? We'll need some of your beasts to help us with Kakashi-sensei.”

Iruka didn't hear anything else because his mind had latched on to two things. _Probably a concussion_. _Torn Achilles tendon_.

Concussion. Torn Achilles.

And memory flooded violently back. “Kakashi,” he attempted to say, but all that came out of his mouth was a strangled croak. He tried to stand but his knees wobbled and he dropped back to the stone floor of the cave. He crawled closer and wrapped his hand around pale fingers. “Kakashi.”

A singular eye blinked several times before staying open, staring up at the ceiling. Finally the grey organ shifted and fell on Iruka. The fingers that he was clasping twitched and then tightened around his hand.

“Iruka. . .” Kakashi breathed out. His eye moved around the cave, taking in Sakura's obvious maturity as well as Sai's presence. “Yamato?” he asked.

Iruka nodded. “He's here.” A wide grin spread across his face as he raised their joined hands to his cheek. “And so is Naruto.”

The sigh was violent enough to ruffle the hair on his forehead as his eye drifted closed. “Thank the gods,” he fervently said. Then the eye snapped open again. “Do you -”

“Remember?” Iruka asked. “I do. I remember it all.”

Kakashi nodded and swallowed hard once. “Rin was. . .”

“A hero,” Iruka put in. “Just like she was always meant to be.” He bowed his head until it rested on Kakashi's chest, enjoying the feel of the other man's hands in his hair. “I love you, Kakashi,” he whispered.

The chest under him rumbled with a chuckle. “No matter what reality we find ourselves in?”

Iruka shook his head. “That makes no difference; we'll always find each other.” He lifted his head and smiled. “A very wise man once said that to me.”

“Well, now I know your lying.”

Naruto, Sai, Yamato, and Sakura exchanged puzzled looks as the two men, one elite jounin and one chuunin schoolteacher, dissolved into laughter.

 

 

_**Owari** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done! *sighs in relief* This one really gave me fits at times, and it feels a little strange to have written almost 70K words just to give Kakashi and Rin a chance to say good bye to each other. :D That wasn't why I started this, but it ended up being - at least to my mind - one of the most pivotal moments in the whole thing.
> 
> As always thanks for all the kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc. I think I'm going to take a breather from KakaIru for a while and let my Haikyuu!! DaiSuga love consume my soul. What's left of it, anyway.


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